14b Mission: Eldeberon
by Margaret Price
Summary: An addendum to Trials & Transmutations. It is the story within the story in chronological order. It is also one giant spoiler for that story. You have been warned. 6th Doctor
1. Mission Day Minus 17

**WARNING!:** If you have _NOT_ read the story "Trials & Transmutations" this is just one HUGE spoiler. If you have, enjoy the added bits that I was unable to put into that story.

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**MISSION****: ELDEBERON  
by Margaret Price **

MISSION DAY Minus 17

Cardinal Wythe moved quickly down the corridors within the Capitol of Gallifrey. He had been delayed in a committee meeting and knew he would be late for a meeting of the High Council of Time Lords if he did not hurry. Unfortunately, a cadet from the Academy had attached himself to him and he could not shake him off.

"Young man, this is not the time or place to be pestering me with theories," the Cardinal said impatiently, turning down another a corridor. He did not even bother to look back, knowing the youth was still dogging his heels.

"Yes, sir. Sorry, sir," the cadet replied. He was considerably smaller than the taller, more imposing figure of the High Councilor he was pursuing and the fact that he kept his head down the whole time made him look as though he were paying homage to a deity. "It's just we were learning about your work in temporal transcendentalism. I thought you might let me interview you for my theses."

Wythe sighed heavily and stopped at the top of a flight of steps. He turned back to his relentless pursuer. "Young man, I'm already late for a High Council meeting. If you wish to talk to me, make an appointment. I am not in the habit of giving interviews in corridors."

The Cardinal turned sharply back to descend the stairs. His feet seemed to get tangled in the hem of his long robe and he fell headlong down the flight of steps. Behind him, the cadet stood watching, a satisfied smile coming to his face. No one would learn until much later that he was more than a simple cadet. He was an Alterran named Trevor, a member of the shape changing race that were actually allies of the Time Lords. He, however, was working to his own agenda and his own vision of the future.

Trevor slowly descended the steps and stood over the moaning Time Lord sprawled at the bottom. He knelt down, took the stunned Wythe's head in his hands and then smashed it hard against the tiled floor. There was an audible crack, which could have been tile, bone, or perhaps both. He then went on to break one of the helpless man's arms and the bones in both legs before finally screaming, "Help! Somebody, help me!"

The first to answer the call was one of the Chancellory guard. The apparently panicked youth ran up to him. "Help me, please! It's the Cardinal! He's fallen down the stairs. Please, you've got to help. I think he's dying!"

The guard was already calling for medical assistance and then turned back to calm the apparently hysterical cadet. A group of others appeared in response to this commotion. More guards came to remove onlookers as the medical team took the unconscious Cardinal away. In the midst of all this activity, Trevor vanished; now free to carry out his vision of the future.

oOoOoOo


	2. Mission Day Minus 5

**MISSION DAY Minus 5**

The TARDIS materialized on the larger of two moons circling a large blue green planet not all that dissimilar to Earth in the mid to late Twentieth century. The Doctor had chosen his current barren surroundings to guarantee he would not be interrupted while he carried out extensive repairs on the time machine's systems. He had noticed a few faults developing. While not serious unto themselves, they were starting to irritate him and he finally decided to pull everything apart to find the problem. Since this would take several days, if not weeks to complete, he dropped his traveling companion, Mel, off at a near by space station where she could get a little pampering. They had been on several hair-raising adventures and the Doctor felt Mel needed a break. He had arranged for her to spend a week at an exclusive spa where she would be able to indulge herself an anyway she saw fit while he handled the tedious job of repairing the console.

The Doctor looked over the readings, giving a disapproving scowl as he did so. The planet was called Eldeberon and seemed to mirror Earth in many ways, including the amount of pollutants it was dumping into the atmosphere. He shook his head and then shut everything down leaving only emergency lighting and life support operating. Giving the planet no further thought, he set to work tackling the console.

oOoOoOo


	3. Mission Day Minus 3

**MISSION DAY Minus 3**

A Glyateven prison ship designated as GX5 had been taken over by the prisoners in an armed revolt shortly after its departure from its home world. During this revolt, the entire ship's crew was killed, leaving only inexperienced individuals with only minimal fight experience to pilot the ship. They managed to change course, going on to damage the engines by pushing them past their tolerance limits. Eventually, they were forced to set course for the first habitable planet, which turned out to be Eldeberon.

The inexperienced pilot knew he wouldn't be able to properly land the ship and jettisoned the fuel during decent to elevate the possibility of a fire on impact. This decision, while valid at the time, would have disastrous repercussions in the weeks that followed.

The ship came down in a coastal area at the same time a hurricane was making landfall. The natural disaster knocked out the area's radar equipment, blinding it not only to the hurricane, but also to the approaching alien craft. Afterward, the crash site blended in perfectly with its devastated surroundings, the four-hundred homeless individuals aboard blending in just as perfectly amongst the thousands of others displaced by the storm.

The revolt was lead by three men, what the Glyateven call a ruling Triad. The Triad consists of a decision maker, an enforcer, and a strategist. The latter of this group was killed in the crash, leaving this Triad short one member.

The two organized the survivors and then took stock of their surroundings. First, they needed to learn more about the planet on which they had landed. After that, they would begin working out how to take it over.

oOoOoOo


	4. Mission Assignment

**MISSION ASSIGNMENT**

Prince Jason of Tel Shye entered the conference room within his personal shuttlecraft, the _ARGO_ and turned, holding out a hand. "This will do, I think, Cardinal. Please, have a seat."

A man dressed in a business suit entered. The Alterran prince believed this man to be Cardinal Wythe of the High Council of Time Lords. He had no idea that the real Cardinal lay in critical condition in the Capitol of Gallifrey or that the member of his own race who was one responsible for putting him there, namely Trevor, had taken his place. He looked around the room before taking a seat at the conference table.

Jason brought over a tray. "Coffee, tea?" he asked politely. His guest declined so he poured himself a cup of coffee and sat down. "Now, what can I do for you? Your message was, to say the least, vague."

The Cardinal pulled out a document. "This will explain everything," he replied, handing over the paper and patiently waiting as the prince read it.

"The Glyateven?" Jason said in distaste. "What does that militaristic lot need me for?"

"It seems they've lost one of their prison ships."

Jason gave him a disbelieving look. "Lost it? How do you lose a prison ship?"

"It wasn't so much lost as it was stolen. Somehow the prisoners managed to take it over and then went and crash landed on a planet called Eldeberon."

"Great. How many aboard?"

"Nearly four hundred."

"And what do you want me to do, exactly?" the Alterran asked sarcastically. "Ask them nicely to get back on their ship and find another planet to terrorize?"

"Eldeberon is incapable of interstellar travel," the fake Time Lord informed. "And the ship was badly damaged in the crash."

"Yes, I thought it might've been," the prince muttered darkly. "Cardinal, I'm already in the middle of preparing something else."

"Yes, I do apologize for having to pull you away like this. But I think you can appreciate that the matter is rather pressing."

Jason sighed heavily and looked back at the paper in his hand. "It's going to take at least a day to get my team back—"

"No team. This is a one man operation."

Jason looked up sharply. "All my missions appear as a one man operation."

"No, I mean literally _one _man."

The Alterran stared at the man opposite him. "You want me to go in _alone?_" he said in disbelief. "Among those bloody lunatics? Are you out of your mind?"

"A plan's already been devised for you," the Cardinal replied happily. "You're a Healer. The perfect cover."

"Cover for what?"

"To inject a retrieval tag subcutaneously."

"Retrieval tag?" the prince repeated dully. "You mean like a signal marker?"

"Precisely. Once you've done that, the Glyateven military will be able to locate them and transport them from the planet. They get their prisoners back and Eldeberon is free of alien interference. Simple. You'll be in and out and back to your current assignment in no time." The false Wythe paused. "What do you say?"

"I say no," Jason said firmly. "Look, Cardinal, I realize there's a diplomatic tap dance going on with the Glyateven, but no."

"My dear Ambassador, we can't just turn our backs on them."

"_We?_ When did this become _we?_ You're lot doesn't even get involved, and now suddenly I'm to do it for the team?" Jason said in annoyance. "The Glyateven are a bunch of militaristic fanatics. And you want me to infiltrate a shipload of their escaped prisoners. _Alone_. They're all probably homicidal psychopaths, paranoid schizophrenics, or _worse_. That's not a mission, it's suicide!"

The disguised Trevor listened to the prince's objections and racked his brains to think of a way to get the prince to agree to the mission. He _had _to agree. He had put too much time and effort into this for it to evaporate now. Then inspiration struck and he chuckled. _Of course! Why hadn't he thought of this before?_ "Your Emperor says you make similar protests before every assignment you accept."

Jason blinked and sat back in his chair, his tone softening, "The Emperor? Why didn't you say he's the one who sent you?"

"Ah, well, to be strictly honest, he didn't." Trevor smiled inwardly. This was the only true thing he'd said since coming aboard.

"Oh great," the Alterran moaned. "It's going to be one of those."

"Yes. All your instructions are there. You're to contact no one other than myself."

"Alright, alright, I know the drill." Jason sighed. He considered the situation and looked up. "When am I supposed to leave? Now, I suppose."

The fake Time Lord grinned as he got to his feet. "I knew you wouldn't let me down," he said cheerfully, his words holding a double meaning only for himself. "The boxes containing the retrieval tags are outside." He held out his hand and the Alterran looked at it a moment before heading for the door.

"Outside, you say?" Jason said as he left the room.

oOoOoOo


	5. Mission Day 1

**MISSION DAY 1**

Jason arrived on Eldeberon and located the downed ship with ease, having been given the energy signature of Glyateven ships to use as a search parameter.

Within a short time, Jason was able to find what remained of the Triad, who were designated as Leaders ONE and TWO. They had not, as yet, replaced the third member.

The prince had been supplied with a complete cover story to convince the skeptical Glyateven of his sincerity. Some of the men had been ill prior to the crash, but their symptoms did not appear until after, which allowed him to convince the stranded aliens that they had picked up a virus from the indigenous population. He told them that part of the cargo he was delivering was a shipment of nodules containing the newest in nano-technology and that the nano-bots would combat any alien viruses with which they came in contact.

The Alterran prince processed the unique ability to scan anything he came in contact with, much in the way of medical sensing equipment. What he did not tell the escaped prisoners was that the infected men were the only ones who did not already have nano-bots in their systems. Apparently, these men had acquired this life saving devices at one point without realizing.

"Look, I know what I'm talking about," Jason said insistently. "If your people aren't inoculated immediately, they'll all be dead within a month."

"I know something of medicine, too, alien," a disheveled man behind him growled.

"Fine. Then you know that, statistically, only three percent of your people will have a natural immunity to this virus." Turning to the man designated as Leader ONE, Jason said forcefully, "That's three out of every hundred. And that's only _this_ one virus. Who's to say the handful that're left will be immune to the next virus? Or the next?"

Leader ONE nodded to Leader TWO and they stepped away, holding a brief conversation.

"I didn't have to come here, you know," Jason called after them. "I could've ignored your distress call and kept on going. But I didn't, fool that I am. Now I'm stuck here along with the lot of you."

"A valid point, alien," ONE stated bluntly.

"My name is Jason, dammit!" the Alterran snapped. "Now do you want my help or not?"

ONE and TWO exchanged a knowing look. "We give permission for you to immunize our men," ONE said at last.

"Finally."

oOo

Jason injected person after person with the retrieval tags. After nearly seven straight hours, the last man was done and he sighed and stretched, rubbing his shoulders. It had been a very long day. He asked the nearest person to take him to the bodies of those who did not survive the impact, explaining that the nano-technology would be able to keep the corpses from infecting the indigenous population.

"You've finished?" ONE asked just as Jason was putting away his equipment.

The Alterran looked up. "Yes, all finished. You won't have to worry about the diseases on this planet raving your people."

"We won't have to worry about you, either," TWO hissed threateningly.

The prince looked up just as the man fired a laser pistol. The laser bolt struck him squarely and his body shimmered. A few seconds later, he solidified, completely unharmed, much to the amazement of the Glyateven. They had no way of knowing that his physiology actually thrived on this type of energy, absorbing it completely. "You're welcome," he said sardonically. He touched a small object that looked like a decoration on his shirtsleeve. "This is a personal forcefield generator. It protects me from pot shots like that one." He was not about to reveal the truth about his anatomy to these bloodthirsty lunatics.

ONE and TWO exchanged bewildered look, uncertain what to do next.

"I really don't like being shot at," Jason said truthfully.

oOoOoOo

Jason was on the flight deck of the _ARGO_, standing before the main view screen. "I've finished, Cardinal. You were right. It didn't take long at all. How soon will the extraction team be here?"

"Ah, there's been a delay there," the disguised Trevor replied apologetically.

The prince frowned, not liking the sound of this at all. "What kind of delay?"

"The Glyateven government is being…difficult," the Cardinal replied calmly. Jason had no way of knowing that the Glyateven government had yet to even be contacted. They were still unaware of the location of the downed ship and Trevor did not plan to contact them for quite some time. Not until he had worn the prince down.

"This was supposed to be a done deal!" Jason exploded. "In and out in no time, remember? Those lunatics are already planning on taking over the planet, and they want _me _to help!"

"Excellent!"

"What?" Jason couldn't believe what he was hearing. "There's nothing excellent about it! They want _me_ to take the place of the third member of the Triad, for pity sake!"

"Who better to keep them in check until the extraction team arrives?" came the smug reply.

"They don't want me to keep them in check. They want me to help them take over the planet," the prince snapped angrily. "I'm a good strategist, but I'm not _that_ good. I doubt they'll be interested in a bloodless coup. They've already tried to shoot me once."

"Obviously they missed," the Time Lord replied aridly.

Jason gave him a sour look. "No, actually, they didn't. I told them I wear a personal forcefield to prevent injury from laser weapons."

"Indeed. How very clever."

"You still think I'm the best man for the job?"

"Ambassador, think of all the innocent people of Eldeberon," the Time Lord on the screen implored.

"I'd rather think of innocent me, if you don't mind," the Alterran retorted. "That wasn't the assignment. Now you're asking me to completely infiltrate their power base."

"I have complete confidence in your deceptive abilities."

Jason gave him a dark look. "That's not what I meant. If this goes wrong I'm in the soup."

"I'm sorry. The soup?"

"Cooked. Done for. They'll hand me my head on a plate."

The fake Wythe sighed heavily. "I thought you were experienced at this sort of thing," he said in a disappointed tone.

Jason's annoyed expression did not change. "_I am_. But deep cover requires a lot of planning. I usually have a team of others to watch my back, _and_ a way out if things go wrong. According to you, officially, I'm not even here. In fact, nobody even knows I am here!"

"My dear Ambassador Krystovan, you have my full support."

"You know something, Wythe. From where I'm standing, that's not all that reassuring." So saying, Jason hit the button, ending the transmission.

oOoOoOo


	6. Mission Day 27

**MISSION DAY 27**

Jason materialized in a large open field overlooking what appeared to be a large farm. He could see a barn, silos and a large, apparently well kept farmhouse in the distance. It was a picture perfect setting. Too perfect, in fact. The prince had a tracking device in his hand and looked down at it. The reading was nearly off the scale. Looking up, he started towards the house. "Come on…come on… I know you're here somewhere," he muttered. He moved the tracker from side to side and it let out a loud squeal. He looked up, seeing that the farmhouse seemed to be what set the device off. He moved it away and then back to make certain. The scanner squealed again, growing louder as he pointed it directly at the house.

"May I help you?" a calm voice asked, seemingly out of nowhere.

Jason turned to see a tall man wearing an all-concealing hooded cloak literally coming out of one the silos. He passed straight through the wall and into the open.

"An impressive piece of camouflage," the Alterran observed without surprise. "I don't think I've seen a holo-projection used quite on this scale before. Been on Eldeberon long?"

"Judging from your lack of surprise and the device in your hand I can only conclude that you too are not native to this planet," the man replied mildly. He took in Jason's clothing, which seemed to mirror his own; the only difference being Jason's hood was down.

"No," the prince replied mildly. "You might say I sort of dropped in."

"Indeed," came the delighted reply. "Mister…?"

"Krystovan. Jason Krystovan. Call me Jason."

"Jason. May I…?" The man held out a hand and Jason handed him the tracker.

"I picked up your energy signature when I…um, landed, shall we say."

The hooded man looked up from his examination of the scanner. He was, in reality, Trevor, again in disguise. He had been waiting somewhat impatiently for Jason to discover and come to investigate the energy signature he'd been broadcasting. In this way, he could manipulate the prince further, as well as keep in closer contact without arousing his suspicions.

"So, you're just as marooned as I," he said at last. Holding out his hand, he invited his guest into what Jason would be told was the remains of his space ship. "The locals call me the Benefactor," he said as he led the way. "My own name is difficult even for these people to pronounce, so I am content with it."

"Do they know you're…um, marooned?" Jason wanted to know.

The Benefactor turned back to study his guest a moment. "Only a select few. My own appearance is much different from the people of this planet, hence my attire. The people here believe me to be from some local religious order, which has simplified matters considerably." He led the way up the steps and onto the farmhouse pouch. "This hologram conceals my ship," he said as he opened the front doors.

Jason stepped inside what he could only assume had been a storeroom. The large open room had been converted into a living area and appeared quite comfortable. "Please, be seated," his host invited and he took a seat on a sofa.

The Benefactor poured out two glasses of wine. "Beyond this room is a small clinic that the locals have christened the Sanctuary," he said conversationally. "There are no medical facilities for several hundred miles, and my equipment is considerably more advanced than anything available on this planet."

"That's a little risky, isn't it?" Jason remarked, accepting the wine.

The Benefactor sank into an easy chair. "I'm very frugal with my secrets. The local doctors call it ancient hocus-pocus, but that doesn't stop them from consulting me whenever they need help with a difficult case."

"I've a feeling you're going to be getting a lot more than requests for medical consultation," Jason replied darkly. "And they won't be asking nicely."

"I don't understand. You believe the locals will have me evicted?" the man beneath the robes chortled. "After all these years?"

"No. Have you ever heard of the Glyateven?"

The Benefactor sat back, repeating the name. "No, I don't believe I have," he lied.

Jason drew a deep breath. He told his host of the Glyateven, the Triad, their plans to take over the planet and his efforts to rein in their more bloodthirsty tendencies.

"And have you been successful in reining them in?" the Benefactor asked mildly.

"To a limited degree. The Glyateven seem to like subterfuge, but haven't the patience or wit to devise their own plans," Jason replied unkindly. "That's why they wanted me in their advisory position. I've been throwing the most complicated stratagems I can think of at them. I managed to convince them that taking over the planet wasn't exactly feasible, considering they had no power base to work from. I directed their energies into their favorite subject, weapons production. That delayed them until they learned about hostile takeovers and acquired several manufacturing and distribution sites in a matter of weeks. They're quick studies if nothing else. And sad to say, there are no end of customers worldwide."

"Yes. The people of this planet have been at war or on the verge of war for decades. Centuries, in some cases," the Benefac­tor informed sadly. After a short pause, he asked pointedly, "May I ask why you've come to me with all this?"

"This is a little embarrassing, but…I was afraid you might've been helping them."

His host laughed at this. _If only he knew!_ "Goodness, what a compliment! If I could do that I'd hardly be living in my ship in the middle of nowhere."

"No." Jason replied self-consciously. Then he smiled broadly. "At least yours it large enough to live in. I'm afraid I came down in an escape pod."

"Oh! Cramped, smelly, filthy little affairs!"

"And no dining facilities," the prince joked. "This wine is excellent, by the way."

"Ah. Compliments of my neighbors. Many are poor farmers. They pay me what they can, usually in the most delicious ways!" The Benefactor finished his wine and got to his feet. "Would you like a small tour?" he asked happily. "Only the upper levels are livable. I haven't been to the lower levels in years."

Before Jason could reply, someone started pounding on the front door. This was followed by the sound of several voices calling out in an unintelligible chorus. "Perhaps they have come to evict you," the Alterran observed mildly as he pulled up his hood to conceal his face.

The Benefactor straightened, looking from his guest to the door. He opened it and a small group of people tumbled into the room. "Benefactor!" the man who had been pounding on the door cried. "Thank goodness you're still safe!"

"So it would appear," the robed man replied in bewilderment. He realized his unexpected guests had noticed his current similarly attired guest standing in the center of the room behind him. "Allow me to introduce a fellow member of my order. This is Brother—"

"Krystovan," Jason said quickly.

"Yes, Brother Krystovan." The Benefactor turned back to the group. "Now, what's all this about not being safe?"

The story burst forth about terrorist attacks in the cities, homes and businesses set ablaze in the local village. "It's war, Benefactor, you have to run before it's too late!" someone cried be­fore the group left, continuing on their quest to warn as many as they could.

The prince pulled back his hood and sank back into his chair. "My god, it's starting here," he said in a disbelieving whisper.

"Yes," the Benefactor said as he crossed the room. This was a shock even to him. He had not expected the fighting to escalate so quickly. Perhaps it was time to contact the Glyateven home world after all. "Many of my neighbors are Trealt," he said as casually as possible. "The Veltatians lay claim to this area and have vowed an ethnic cleansing should they regain control."

Jason looked up, his eyes blazing with anger. His outrage came through in his voice as he said, "Ethnic cleansing, racial purity, genetic sanitization; it's all the same. An excuse to kill the dissimilar. A rationalization to commit…genocide."

The Benefactor nodded. "If what you say is true, then all my neighbors are going to die and there's nothing I can do about it, is there?"

"You haven't got a transmat, have you?" Jason jested.

"Yes, as it happens," his host replied startlingly. "Hasn't worked for ages, though."

A sparkle shown in Jason's eyes as an incredibly wild idea popped into his head. "If I can get it working again," he began slowly, "would you let me turn this place into a real Sanctuary?"

Trevor sat back and studied him. There was no questioning that the prince was a brilliant strategist. He had obvious thought of something extraordinary. Perhaps he should allow him to implement it, whatever it may be. If for no other reason than to wear him down further.

"Perhaps you might explain what you mean," he replied guardedly, and then silently marveled as Jason laid out his amazing proposal.

oOoOoOo


	7. Mission Day 29

**MISSION DAY 29**

Clip after clip from Eldeberon News services flashed across the screen; people screaming in the streets, buildings set ablaze, report after report of bombings and acts of violence. Leaders ONE and TWO watched the reports on the television, positively glowing with pride.

"Well, what do you say to that?" Leader TWO said proudly.

"Anarchy," Jason replied coldly from his place across the room. Now known as Leader THREE, he was dressed in a similar style as the others in the Triad, a dark green jumpsuit with elaborate symbols adoring the sleeves; the patterns denoting the wearer's placement in the Triad. "You want to take control, but encourage chaos. When this is done, there'll be nothing to take control of."

TWO turned to him in annoyance. "Naturally _you_ have a better idea?" he said mockingly.

Jason pointed a remote control at the television and switched it off. "You have technology a hundred times better than what's available on this planet. And what do you do with it? You make weapons that blow things up!"

TWO opened his mouth to object but was stopped by ONE, who raised his hand. "Let him speak," he said calmly, more than a little intrigued. "What do you advise, THREE? You haven't led us astray yet."

Jason gave a small smile and held up a disk. "Why not add these to your inventory?" he asked mildly.

"A transmat disk?" ONE observed in bewilderment. "What good is that? The transmat was destroyed in the crash."

"Exactly. Anyway, it's less messy than rocket launched grenades," the Alterran replied, receiving a disgusted snort from TWO in reply. "And just think how quickly you'll corner the market when word gets out about a weapon capable of dispersing your enemy's molecules to the four corners of the universe?"

ONE's eyes lit up, the implications of this exploding in his mind. Power. Absolute power would be in his grasp.

As always, TWO was slower on the uptake and could not see the broader implications. "You think we'll strike terror into the hearts of these primitives with _that?_" he asked sarcastically.

"Think, TWO. With no receiver, it's a one-way ticket to oblivion. A death sentence. A means of _control_. Yes! We'll completely crush the competition," ONE replied, his eyes blazing with blind avarice. He took the device from Jason and turned it over in his hands. "But can they be manufactured in mass quantities? As you say, this planet's technology is limited."

"Fortunately, they've attained microchip technology," Jason replied mildly. He pointed the remote control in his hand and the television returned to life. "It's still crude, but you could probably build one using the parts from this."

"By the Goddess!" ONE exclaimed, slapping the Alterran on the back. "For someone who claims to be a pacifist, you have a devious mind, THREE."

Jason gave a small knowing smile but did not reply. He didn't know the half of it, he thought, and with luck, he'd never know.

oOoOoOo


	8. Mission Day 39

**MISSION DAY 39**

The face of Cardinal Wythe appeared on the _ARGO's_ main screen. "I told you only to contact me in an emergency," he scolded.

"Oh well, excuse me for pulling you out of a boring council meeting," Jason spat sarcastically. "I thought you might like to know there's another alien presence on Eldeberon."

"Another…? Surely not," the Cardinal replied dismissively. Trevor had been wondering when the prince would get around to telling his mission coordinator about the Benefactor.

"You think I don't know alien technology when I see it? I've been onboard what's left of his ship. He's using holo-technology to disguise it from the locals."

Wythe scowled back at him. "Is he involved with the Glyateven?"

"No, he's helping me," Jason replied, adding sharply, "And considerably better than you are, I might add!"

Wythe gave him a reproving scowl.

"He's fully aware of the risk he's taking," Jason went on.

"Poor compensation for him should the other members of the Triad find out."

"_Now_ he's sympathetic," the Alterran moaned, rolling his eyes to the ceiling. "Look, I don't see the problem. He's got this huge spaceship buried in the middle of nowhere. The only way to get there from the city is over some very broken down country lanes, or by transmat."

The Cardinal sat thoughtfully a moment. "Just who is this man? Where does he come from?"

"I don't know his real name. The locals call him the Benefactor. He crashed landed here several years ago, apparently. He's very tight lipped about his origins, and since I've pressed him into service, as it were, I'm not pushing for details."

"This…concerns me, Ambassador," Wythe observed. "Keep me informed."

oOoOoOo


	9. Mission Day 42

**MISSION DAY 42**

After weeks of struggling with the TARDIS console, the Doctor was replacing the last of the panels on the pedestal of the mushroom shaped central control console. The repairs had taken considerably longer than he intended, which was only due to the fact that he had gotten carried away with one of the modifications. It wasn't often that he could indulge himself without having to worry about being bothered every five minutes by either his companion or a problem that might end in the destruction of the universe. He dusted himself off as he stood up, his eye moving approvingly over the console. He activated the ship's systems one at a time, a satisfied smile coming to his face as everything came back online. He listened to the hum of the time machine and gave a small grunt of satisfaction. "That's done it, I think," he said happily, giving the console a loving pat.

The Time Lord circled the console, glancing over the readings. He did a double take when the scan of the planet flashed up. Along with the pollution he had found so objectionable was a cloud of fuel that could only have come from a ship capable of interstellar travel. "Now where did _that_ come from?" he remarked in surprise, running a second scan just make certain the readings were genuine.

He activated the scanner and studied the image on the viewer. The planet looked remarkably unchanged. But the presence of the fuel had piqued his interest and he reset the coordinates for the surface. Just one quick look around, he told himself, and then he'd be off to pick up Mel.

The TARDIS vanished from the moon's surface, materializing at the top of a hill in the playground of a park. The Doctor popped his head out the door and looked around. _There was definitely something bad happening,_ he thought with a frown. The playground looked more like a battleground. There were craters further on and a sign announcing that he had arrived at "Founder's Park" that was leaning badly to one side. One of its supports had been turned to splinters at some point in time.

The Doctor stepped out of the TARDIS and locked the door before taking stock of his surroundings. It was all too apparent that a war was raging on this part of the planet. From his place atop the hill, he could see smoke rising from several sections the large city, several more craters dotting the landscape, damaged and ruin buildings eve­rywhere.

Something was serious wrong on this planet and the Doctor wondered if the aliens who had dumped the fuel were also responsible for the devastation around him. Of course, the only way to find out was to look and he set off down the hill.

oOoOoOo


	10. Mission Day 44

**MISSION DAY 44**

Before the man on the _ARGO_'s view screen could say a word, Jason exclaimed, "This is taking forever! Where's that extraction team?"

"Patience, Ambassador," the disguised Trevor purred. He had contacted the Glyateven home world some time ago, but they were being stubborn in their negotiations. Since his plan required time to play out, he could afford to wait them out. They would fold to his demands eventually.

"That's easy for you to say, Wythe," Jason snapped angrily. "You're not the one with his back against the wall! There's a civil war raging where I am now. There are so many countries and factions going at it, I've lost track. And Tri Global is right in the thick of it. Do you know what the majority of them were in prison for? Arms dealing!" He threw his hand in the air. "What do they need me for? They've already got a built in advisory board."

The man on the screen chuckled. "Are you sure you're not just exaggerating?"

"No, I'm not. In less than a month, Tri Global has practically monopolized the arms market on this planet," the prince replied tersely. "If that extraction team doesn't get here soon, they really will take over the world."

"I can see how that would be worrying."

"You don't know the half of it," the Alterran snorted. "And the Doctor's here somewhere, too. Did you send him?"

The fake Wythe's eyes flickered. "No. When did he arrive?" This was an unexpected complication.

"A few days ago, if the Triad's intel is accurate."

"You'd be well advised to avoid him."

Jason could not believe what he was hearing. "Avoid him! Cardinal, he'd've spotted the alien nature of Tri Global's weapons in a heartbeat. His next step will be to come after Tri Global and then the Triad. I'm number three in the Triad. Just how do you suggest I avoid him?"

"How do you know all this?" the Cardinal wanted to know.

"Because that's what he does! I used to travel with him, for pity sake," the prince replied in exasperation. "Now all I have to do is figure out how to find him before he finds me."

Trevor was thinking feverously. He could not afford to have the prince join forces with his old friend. It would ruin everything. He had to keep them apart at all costs. _But how? How?_ Then it came to him in a flash. "For the Doctor's sake as well as your own, do not attempt contact."

"What!" Jason was appalled.

"You wanted to rein in the Triad, didn't you?" Wythe said calmly. "Well, this is your perfect opportunity. The Doctor will do all in his power to stop them, correct?"

"Yes…" came the hesitant reply.

"Then do what you can to allow that to happen from the inside."

"Cardinal," Jason said firmly, "you realize if I don't let the Doctor know why I'm here, he'll think I'm working against him. Or worse, that I've gone off the deep end."

"The deep end?"

The Alterran heaved an exasperated sigh. "He'll think I'm out to take over the planet like the rest of these nuts! Or worse, that I'm laying the groundwork for an invasion."

"In the short run, perhaps. You'll have plenty to time to straighten out any misunderstandings when the mission is over."

"I hope so. We're already on shaky ground as it is."

Trevor was intrigued by this remark. "It's in yours and the Doctor's best interest to create an illusion of enmity. If the others are as paranoid as you've already told me, they'll kill you both without compunction at the slightest hint of treachery."

"You're right. I could get him killed." Jason sank into a chair and put his head in his hands. "I think the strain is getting to me. I'm not thinking straight anymore."

A ghost of a smile passed the imposter's lips. That was the plan. "It won't be too much longer, I'm sure."

The transmission ended and Jason closed his eyes. "It's been too long already," he moaned.

oOoOoOo


	11. Mission Day 46

**MISSION DAY 46**

The Doctor was following a young man of about twenty along a deserted city street. They had been traveling for some time and had to maneuver around the debris littering the area as they made their way. Their journey finally ended at a tunnel entrance on a closed street.

"Here?" the Doctor asked, giving the tunnel a dubious look. He felt it was more likely an automobile would appear at any moment and run them over.

"Yes. I told Telvec all about you, Doctor," the young man replied excitedly.

"That's what I'm afraid of," the Time Lord sighed. He held out a hand. "Alright. Lead on, Philip."

Philip flashed an excited grin and vanished into the gloom.

The Doctor took in the huddled families as he walked by and could not help feeling sorry for them. Telvec, the leader of the small militia group, was halfway up the tunnel, pacing back and forth near a bonfire that threw spectral shadows in all directions. It was the only source of light and heat available as far as the Doctor could determine.

"So, Philip, this is your savior! The man who'll restore order and return unity to all," Telvec sneered. "Isn't he also the one who says Tri Global is using _alien_ technology?" He looked the Time Lord up and down, taking in his brightly colored clothes. He stood out in stark contrast to the torn and dirty rags of the assembled survivors.

"Philip…exaggerates," the Doctor replied mildly. "I can help you fight alien technology," he stated flatly. "But it's up to you to restore order and unity. As I understand it, the people of this planet have been squabbling amongst themselves for decades. You set off this powder keg. Tri Global is just taking advantage of the situation."

"Listen to him!" Telvec said mockingly. "He thinks he's a Sage!"

"No, I'm the Doctor." The Time Lord turned a puzzled look in Philip's direction. "Sage?" Since his arrival on Eldeberon, the boy had attached himself to him. Somehow he saw the Doctor as the ultimate savior and had cast himself in the role of manager, promoter and tour guide, much to the Doctor's annoyance. He was, however, an excellent source of information.

"A Sage is an oracle, Doctor," the boy explained. "A very wise man."

"Ah, thank you, Philip," the Doctor replied as he turned back to Telvec. "Well, I may not be an oracle, but I have been called wise on more than one occasion."

The leader gave another laugh. "I'll bet you've never been called modest!" he cried. "So tell us, Sage Doctor, who are the aliens behind Tri Global's newest innovations?" He held out a hand, inviting his reluctant guest to take a seat on one of the numerous mismatched cushions near the fire. It was obvious he did not believe a word and was simply humoring him.

"I don't know as yet. I only know they left traces of their ship's fuel in your planet's upper atmosphere," the Doctor replied matter of factly as he took a seat.

Telvec stared at him with his mouth open, and then burst out laughing. "That's a good one, Doctor! Next you'll be telling us you're from the rings of Xaaxo!"

"No, actually, I'm from Gallifrey," the Time Lord corrected. "And that's beside the point. Just when did these innovative weapons start to appear?"

Telvec wasn't sure if the Doctor were actually serious. Everyone knew about Tri Global's newest in weaponry. Unless he really was… The leader shook his head and decided not to think about it. "They started turning up about a month or so ago in my country. I've been fighting illegal weapons traffic for years. Now everything's upside down and Tri Global's selling the stuff on the open market!"

"The new weapons are incredible," Philip said in awe. "Laser sights, infrared imagery…"

"That's just technology," the Doctor replied. "And it isn't always the best thing to rely on."

"What about the dispersal disks?" Philip asked with a shudder.

The Doctor had forgotten about Tri Global's newest addition to its inventory. The disk caused a person's body to disintegrate completely; leaving no trace that they had ever existed. It was far less messy than bullets and explosives, but no less lethal.

The Doctor looked at Telvec. "And you don't think _that's _alien technology at work?" he asked sarcastically.

Telvec was finally forced to agree, going on to inform the Doctor that the group was planning a raid on the company's local headquarters later that night.

"To what end?" the Time Lord wanted to know.

"To find out about their distribution network, for a start," Telvec shot back defensively. "If I can knock that out, or learn who their suppliers are…"

"You can't just knock on the door and ask to look through their files," the Doctor objected practically.

"You don't have to come, Sage Doctor," Telvec said sarcastically.

"Telvec, you don't even know what you're looking for. How will you know if you find it?"

"I don't know" Telvec snapped defensively. "Maybe I'll know it when I see it." He looked around, taking in the faces of the huddle figures in the tunnel. "I have to do something. In less than a month Tri Global's gone from one little company to practically cornering the weapons market. Their business is war, and business is booming. And nobody seems to care anymore!" So saying, he turned and strode up the tunnel and out into the street, collecting the rest of his group as he went.

"You're going with him, aren't you, Doctor?" Philip asked helplessly, hopping from foot to foot. He could not seem to decide whether to stay with the Doctor or follow after Telvec.

The Doctor sighed heavily and led the way up the tunnel. "Yes. But I'm probably going to regret it."

While the Doctor's party made their way across the city, the Triad was returning to Tri Global's corporate command center located in the penthouse of the very building the militia was approaching. There were enormous windows on all four sides of the room; the open floor design intended to give the executive within a panoramic view of the city. The Triad, however, had chosen it for strategic reasons. It was atop the tallest building in the city and gave them an unobstructed view in all directions.

"Somebody's getting desperate," Leader TWO said as he walked through the door. He was flipping through a stack of photographs and did not even look up.

"Good!" Leader ONE replied happily.

Jason entered but did not join in. He dropped into a chair near the corner of the room behind the door and put his feet up, seemingly bored with the conversation as the other two chattered on.

"Have you heard the latest?" TWO was asking, waving the photos in the air. "This man is going to return peace and unity to the world. Not just the land, the whole world!" he announced grandly, adding with a snort, "Good luck to him." He tossed the photographs to the floor, scattering them in all directions.

Jason leaned forward in his chair and picked up the photo that had landed beside it. It was a photograph of the Doctor taken with a telephoto lens, one of several to have made its way into the hands of the Triad over the past few days. He already had a basic idea as to what he would when the Doctor made an appearance, as well as several ways of handling his interference. It was what he'd have to do if the Time Lord confronted him face-to-face that concerned him. An illusion of enmity, that's what his mission coordinator advised. That was all well and good for him to say. He wasn't the one who might destroy a friendship.

Jason got to his feet and crossed to the window, letting the photo drop from his fingers. As he stood gazing into the growing twilight, his keen eyes picked up movement in a wooded area on the outskirts of the grounds behind the building. He adjusted his eyes to compensate for the light and distance, seeing a group of people in the trees. He watched in amazement as a smaller group broke away from the others and headed for the rear entrance of the building, the Doctor among them. He groaned inwardly. As always, the Doctor's timing was perfect.

"Don't underestimate propaganda," ONE was saying. "We need to find this man and eliminate him before he rallies any support."

"You needn't bother," Jason said calmly. "He appears to be coming to you."

"What?" ONE and TWO cried in unison. They joined their counterpart at the window but could see nothing in the growing gloom.

Jason reached down to a surveillance monitor, bringing up the image from the rear security camera. At the same time, he noticed some of the group were armed. "They don't look like your usual corporate raiders, do they?" he remarked aridly. "And they appear to be trying to break in the rear entrance."

"Quickly, alert security!" TWO snapped. "We have to stop them getting in.

"No, no, no," Jason tut-tutted, resisting the urge to slap him on the hand as if he were a naughty child. "You just said you wanted to find him, didn't you? Let him break in with the others. They'll get up here sooner or later. And if they don't, you can always just seal off the building. Either way, they'll never get out again." So saying, he retuned to his chair, and put his feet up again. He gave the appearance of nonchalance, but inwardly he was dreading what was about to happen.

An evil smile twisted ONE's face. He exchanged glances with TWO, and then started to chuckle. "Yes! By the Goddess, THREE, you are devious!"

"I try," the Alterran replied mildly, accepting the compliment with a nod._ Sometimes too devious _he thought darkly, inwardly wishing he were _anywhere_ else at that moment.

ONE crossed to the phone and called to the head of his security force. "There are intruders trying to break in the rear entrance," he informed. "I want you to let them do it."

The man on the other end of the phone was silent a moment. "Sir?"

"And after they get in, I want you to make certain they never get out again."

oOo

After several minutes, the sound of running feet could be heard from the hallway. The penthouse doors burst open and Telvec's group flooded into the room where more than a dozen heavily armed security guards greeted them. The Doctor skidded to a halt and immediately raised his hands. "I knew it was too easy," he moaned.

"Welcome, welcome," ONE said amiably, waving the group further inside. "We've been expecting you."

"So I'd noticed," the Doctor replied aridly.

"They don't look like aliens," Philip said in an almost disappointed tone.

"Silence, scum!" TWO snarled as the intruders were relieved of their weapons.

The Doctor glanced back at the boy, seeing the others seemed just as bewildered. He, however, had recognized the stylized symbols on their captor's clothing. "Allow me to properly introduce you to the real power behind Tri Global," he said grandly. "Meet the Glyateven."

Surprised by this, Leader ONE took a step forward. "You know our kind?"

"Oh yes, unfortunately. Which are you?"

"I am Leader ONE."

"Ah." The Doctor turned back to the others, explaining, "They rule in a body of three. A ruling Triad—Ah! Tri Global, how very clever. The Triad consists of a decision maker, a bully and a strategist." He turned to Leader TWO, saying, "From your courteous reception, I can only assume you're the bully of the group."

His insolent observation was rewarded with a savage slap across the face that sent him to the floor. The occupant of the chair he had landed beside casually leaned over and regarded him steadily. The Doctor looked up at the familiar face in astonishment. "Good Lord, Jason!" he gasped in amazement. "What in Rassilon's name are _you _doing here?"

"You know this _creature_, THREE?" TWO snarled accusingly, wondering why he hadn't mentioned it before now.

Jason drew a deep breath, steeling himself for what he had to do next. _This illusion would have to be perfect if he didn't want to get the Doctor, or himself, killed._ Ignoring the astonished Time Lord on the floor, he stood up and stepped over him, crossing to ONE and TWO. "Unfortunately, yes. He's a Time Lord and calls himself the Doctor. The fact that he's already allied himself with the locals means he's here to stop you taking over this planet."

"Jason!" the Doctor gasped.

The Alterran spun around. "I am known as Leader THREE," he corrected sharply.

The Doctor wanted to kick himself. _Nice going, Doctor! You've probably just blown his cover._

"I don't know any of the others," Jason went on blandly, waving a hand dismissively. "One of them might be his traveling companion. He likes to surround himself with lesser species so he has someone to be superior around."

Now the Doctor was certain he had walked in on one of Jason's covert operations and decided to play the injured party until he found out exactly what was going on. He had no way of knowing that he was doing exactly what Jason hoped he would do. "Now see here, Jason, or THREE or whatever you want to call yourself," he said in an angry tone as he got to his feet, "I know we didn't part on the best of terms, but there's no call to be—"

"So you are _not_ a friend of THREE's," ONE interrupted sharply.

This seemed a very important point so the Doctor continued to play along. "Not any longer, apparently," he replied in an injured tone.

"_Friend?_" Jason said with a disgusted snort. "The last time we met, he tried to _kill _me."

The Doctor did not reply. While not completely accurate, Jason had spoken the literal truth. He moved back to Philip while the Triad held a hushed conversation. After apparently reaching a mutual decision, ONE turned back to the group of intruders and ordered, "Guards, take this rabble out and have them shot." He pointed a finger at the Doctor. "All but him."

Two guards immediately took the Time Lord by the arms and pulled him away from the others. The Doctor struggled unsuccessfully against his captors as he was dragged across the room and thrust against a wall. He watched helplessly as the rest of the group was herded from the room. "Why spare me?" he demanded.

To his astonishment, the reply came from Jason. "Because if they take you out and shoot you, you'll just regenerate," he said matter of factly. His voice hardened as he added, "And I know how to prevent that happening."

The Doctor could not quite believe what he was hearing. "You can't mean that?"

TWO snatched a laser pistol from one of the guards and started across the room, stopping when Jason said blandly, "You're not going to use _that_, are you?"

The Leader gave him an annoyed scowl. "And what's wrong with this?" he asked, holding up the weapon.

The Alterran gave him a long-suffering look and sighed heavily. "Well, for one thing, if you use that, you'll blow a hole through him _and_ the wall," he pointed out. "I don't know about you, but I'd rather not have a gaping hole in the wall with winter practically upon us."

Leader ONE snickered at this observation, much to TWO's annoyance.

Jason turned and starting searching through a chest of drawers. After a moment, he pulled out a small caliber handgun. He quickly checked it over making certain it was loaded. "Here, use this," he said, holding out the weapon only to pull it back. "No, on second thought…" He turned a cold and angry look in the Time Lord's direction, his voice hardening, "I'll use it."

"You?" ONE replied, exchanging a surprised look with TWO.

"Yes. He tried to kill me once. I think I should return the favor," Jason replied bitterly. He prayed the Doctor understood what he was trying to tell him. The incident he was referring to had been traumatic for him. The Time Lord had insisted that it wasn't really him. Now he was going to do something that wasn't really him, either. Would his friend make the connection? He looked down at the gun in his hand and then crossed to stand in front of the Doctor, who had been listening to his exchange with the others in some bewilderment.

"Any final words of wisdom, Doctor?" the prince asked.

"None that I can think of," the Doctor admitted. He was still trying to go along with whatever game his friend was playing, thinking he was making an elaborate show of things so he would be able to make his escape. He was about to learn the game was in deadly earnest. "I thought we'd worked all that out. Obviously, I was wrong."

"Worked it out?" Jason snarled viciously. "Worked it out!" Without warning, he grabbed the Time Lord by the throat with his free hand and thrust him back against the wall. Despite his size, the Alterran was considerably stronger than the Doctor and lifted his large frame several inches off of the floor.

The Doctor clawed at the hand at throat just to keep himself from choking.

"How does it feel? To know someone you thought was your friend might actually want to kill you? Terrifying? Sickening?" Jason hissed coldly. "Just apply a little pressure, isn't that how it goes? Who's going to save you now?" _Please make the connection, Doctor!_ he thought in desperation.

"Are you going to shoot me or throttle me?" the Doctor gasped out.

The Alterran released his grip and the Time Lord dropped to the floor gasping and choking for breath. It took a moment for him to recover and he slowly returned to his feet, completely at a loss as to where this was leading.

Jason raised the weapon and took aim but did not fire. Illusion or no, he was going to have to pull the trigger and it was far more difficult than he imagined.

"Try not to hit the window," TWO said mockingly, collapsing into a fit of the giggles.

Jason shot him a quick sideways glance and cocked the weapon, but he did not fire._ Come on, Krystovan_, he told himself. _Get this over with and get the hell out!_

"Come now, THREE. Surely he's a big enough target for you," ONE jested. He stepped in front of the raised weapon, shoving the Doctor back against the wall and ripping open his waistcoat and shirt, exposing his bare chest. Exchanging an amused look with TWO, ONE stepped aside. "There. Is that easier for you?"

Jason's reply was to squeeze the trigger. This surprised even himself as the gun exploded in his hand. The Doctor felt a searing pain in his chest as he was thrown back against the wall. He fell heavily to the floor, not quite believing what had just happened. He had been working under the assumption that his friend would some­how get him out of the room. It had never even crossed his mind that the Alterran's threats were the real thing. He looked up to see to Jason standing over him, an odd look on his face. This was because the Alterran was berating himself mentally for having to stage so elaborate an illusion. To save his friend's life, he had to give the appearance of taking it. _That was not fun,_ he thought sardonically.

Jason knelt beside the downed Time Lord, looking him in the eye. "I've just put a bul­let through your right heart, obliterating it completely," he informed matter-of-factly. "Within a few minutes you'll exsanguinate. Shortly after that you'll die and regenerate." He took out a small disk and held it up. "This stasis field generator will prevent that happening."

"It will prevent me bleeding to death, too," the Doctor gasped out painfully as the disk was pressed onto his shoulder.

_That's the whole point, you thickheaded Time Lord!_ the Alterran thought. A knowing smile came to his face as he held up another disk. "Not if I scatter your molecules to the four corners of the universe."

"I can't believe this is all because of a single mistake."

"You know something, Doctor. Now we're even," Jason replied enigmatically and activated the stasis field. The Doctor shuddered, a painful gurgle escaping him before he went completely still. Jason activated the dispersal disk and stepped back, watching dispassionately as the Time Lord's body vanished into thin air.

oOoOoOo

No one had dared speak to Leader THREE after what happened in the penthouse. Even the usually bombastic ONE and TWO had kept their distance. No longer considered simply an adviser, his recent act of violence had cemented his place as an equal member of the hierarchy and a man not to taken lightly.

Jason strode through the corridors of Tri Global headquarters, watching with amusement as the staff scuttled out of his way. He could hear the furtive whispers as he passed, his confrontation with the Doctor passing from person to person, the details embellished with each telling. _It'll be an Earth style old west shootout by the day's end_, he thought amusedly, imagining himself standing on a dusty street, hand poised, ready to draw his revolver and fire. The truth was far less romantic, he reflected as he entered his stateroom and crossed to the communication terminal.

"Security," a bored operated responded. He did not even bother to look at the screen, seeming more interested in the magazine in front of him. "What's you authorization number?"

"Three," Jason snapped coldly, watching in amusement as the operator practically fell from his chair in an attempt to come to attention.

"Yes, sir! Sorry, sir."

"There's a blue box somewhere in the city," the Leader informed. "The exact description will be transmitted shortly. Recent intelligence indicates that it's being used to hide a supply of weapons and high-grade explosives. I'm going to be away for the next four days touring the competitions' operations. I want that box found before I return. THREE out."

"That's the TARDIS taken care of," Jason muttered, adding with a chuckle, "By the time that story gets out, two-thirds of the city will be out looking for the old girl." He pulled out a recall disk and squeezed it between his fingers. A split second later, he was on the flight deck of the _ARGO_, which was hidden some distance from Tri Global's headquarters. Unlike the transmat in the Sanctuary, Jason had programmed the _ARGO_ to respond only to the signals from his recall disk, thus elevating the possibility of any wayward refugees landing on his own doorstep.

Jason pocketed the disk and turned, his gaze falling on the lights of the Med-computer blinking in the darkness of the sickbay. "Computer, lights," he commanded as he crossed to the flashing panel. He scanned the displays and then looked through the observation port at the mo­tionless occupant, a small smile coming to his face.

"Hello, Doctor," he said softly.

oOoOoOo


	12. Mission Day 47

**MISSION DAY 47**

Jason stood motionless before the recovery cabinet in the _ARGO_'s sickbay, his eyes glued to the monitors. The Doctor had come through the surgery that restored his heart but was still in very critical condition. The Healer had no doubt that he would make a full recovery. He also had no doubt that his friend was going to be absolutely furious with him when he finally woke up. Considering the alternative, Jason felt he could handle the Time Lord's wrath.

"**Incoming secure transmission**," the computer announced suddenly.

"Don't tell me there's been another delay," Jason moaned. He crossed to the command deck and hit the switch. Wythe's face appeared on the screen. "I have good news for you, Ambassador," he said happily. "The extraction ships are in your sector and will rendezvous with you within the week."

Despite the fact that this was the very news he had been hoping for, Jason suddenly felt completely drained. "Great," he replied dully.

"I thought you'd be pleased."

"Oh yeah, I'm ecstatic. Can't you tell?"

Wythe sighed heavily. "What's happened now?"

The High Councilor's condescending tone set the Alterran off. "I destroyed a friendship today, that's what's happened," he snapped angrily.

"I beg your pardon?"

"I shot the Doctor!" Jason exploded, adding in a sarcastic tone, "But you were right! I'm in thick as thieves with the Triad now. They can't get enough of me."

The man on the screen sat in a stunned silence. "Are you telling me that you actually killed the Doctor?"

"_No!_ But everybody thinks I did." Jason sighed heavily and sank into a chair.

"I suppose that's a good thing," the Cardinal replied mildly. "May I ask why you chose such a drastic course of action?"

"You're the one who said I should create an illusion of enmity," Jason reminded coldly. "I did it to save his life, if you can believe it."

"I'm not sure I even understand it."

"He was with a group that stormed the building last night. The Triad was going to have them all shot. I told them if they did that he'd just regenerate and be back in their hair again."

The Cardinal raised his eyebrows. "Now that I do understand."

"I don't think even a Time Lord could survive getting shot with the weapons they're using. I was sure he'd die if I let them take him out with the others." Jason ran his fingers through his hair and laughed at the irony of the situation. "The worst part is, I needn't've bothered. The group outside rescued the others before the guards had a chance to fire a shot!"

"You did what you thought best at the time," Wythe replied sagely.

"If that's supposed to make me feel better, it doesn't," the prince snapped angrily. "I should've pulled out when I had the chance."

Trevor had to control his panic. The prince was getting worn down and had already started to make mistakes. The last thing he needed was for him to give up and leave. Not with the culmination of his plan so close at hand. "No, you mustn't abandon the mission. That could have disastrous repercussions!"

"It already has!" Jason snarled, slamming his fist on the console and ending the transmission. He rose to his feet and crossed back to the recovery cabinet. He looked in on the Doctor's pale form and leaned his forehead against the observation window, as if to get as close as possible to his unconscious friend. "Why did they have to come now?" he asked in an annoyed tone. "They couldn't've waited until after you woke up, could they?" Drawing a deep breath, the prince straightened. "Computer, how much time is remaining on the shut down of the stasis field?"

"Six hours, four minutes," the computer replied.

"And the estimated time after that before the Doctor regains consciousness?"

"**Given current parameters, twelve to eighteen hours."**

"Good. I'm not due back for another—" Jason broke off when the computer suddenly an­nounced, "**Incoming transmission. Audio only."**

The prince scowled. "Acknowledge transmission," he ordered. There was a beep in response to this order. In a calm voice, he said, "Krystovan."

"Kryss, you're alright!" a female voice responded happily. "When you didn't come last night, we were afraid you'd been…well, you know."

Jason cursed under his breath, having completely forgotten about his rendezvous with a group supplying aid to the hundreds of refugees throughout the city. He threw a quick glance at the recovery cabinet beside him before replying, "I'm sorry about that, Becky. A friend of mine was nearly killed last night. I completely forgot about the meeting."

"No explanation needed, Kryss," Becky said quickly. "You take all the time you need."

"Are you still in the same sector?"

"Yes."

"Then I'll meet you tonight," Jason promised.

"What about your friend?" came the concerned inquiry.

Again, Jason threw a concerned look at the motionless figure within the recovery cabinet. "Don't worry. I have someone who can look after him while I'm away. Krystovan out."

The Alterran drew a deep breath, running his fingers threw his hair. "I am never doing a one man operation again." Then he ordered, "Computer, contact the Sanctuary."

"**Acknowledged**," the computer replied. A minute later, it said, "No response."

Jason frowned. "Continue to hail. Let me know when you get a reply."

"**Acknowledged."**

The lights on the Med-computer started flashing and the Alterran Healer turned his full attention to it. He made an entry into the computer, smiling as the readings changed, showing an improvement in the Time Lord's status. "How do you do it, Doctor?" he asked conversationally as he looked in at his unconscious friend. "Alone and clueless, you can save the universe. And you make it look so easy!"

The computer announced, "**Incoming response to hail."**

Jason looked up, crossing back to flight deck. He smiled when he saw the Benefactor's robed figure on the screen. "There you are! I was afraid something had happened," he sighed relievedly. "Is everything alright out there? No mini-wars breaking out?"

"None as yet," the Benefactor replied mildly. "The terms of the truce you proposed were agreed to by all sides. You should've been a diplomat." The disguised Trevor could not resist this remark. He had only just returned from his transmission station, changing from his persona as Cardinal Wythe to that of the Benefactor.

Jason smiled inwardly at this observation. "You must be getting pretty crowded."

"With the help of some rather skilled craftspeople, we've been able to open another level," the Benefactor informed proudly.

"That's great," Jason replied happily. "Has Marcus been in touch with you?"

"Yes. We've already worked out a supply schedule. No one will go hungry." The disguised Trevor smiled inwardly. The prince was wearing himself down faster than he dared believe possible. "You've been very busy, Jason."

The prince gave a tired smile, thinking the man ant the other end of the transmission didn't know the half of it. Ironically, he knew the whole of it. "I need a favor, if I haven't used them all up already."

"Nonsense. I must confess, I'm finding this all quite exhilarating," the robed man informed happily.

"I'm going to be sending someone over to you shortly. He has a serious chest wound and will need close medical attention."

"Is that all?" the Benefactor laughed. "We have injured people arriving hourly."

"This man—the Doctor—is a very close friend of mine, Benefactor," Jason stated bluntly. "He thinks I'm working against him right now and he's in no condition for me to dissuade otherwise. I want him kept safe until I have time to straighten out this mess."

The robed man cocked his head to one side. "I'm not sure I understand you correctly. Am I to allow him to continue to believe you're his enemy?"

"No. I _want _you to tell him I sent him intentionally," the Alterran replied quickly. "I'm sure he'll understand my reasoning, he just won't be too pleased with its implementation. Just keep him safe for me until I can come talk to him. And no matter what he says, do not, under any circumstance, let him leave the Sanctuary to come after me."

"No one leaves the Sanctuary," the Benefactor pointed out. "You made the rule yourself."

"You don't know the Doctor the way I do, Benefactor. He's a master at breaking rules."

"I shall do my best." Trevor smiled inwardly. This was going to be easier than he thought.

oOoOoOo


	13. Mission Day 48

**MISSION DAY 48**

The Doctor arrived at the Sanctuary, still unconscious and in critical condition. He was taken to the hospital section and given around the clock care. To the amazement of all, his recovery was so swift that he regained consciousness the next day rather than in a week's time as was origi­nally predicted.

"Hey, I think he's waking up," a gruff male voice said.

"You've been saying that all afternoon," another male voice admonished. "It's too soon."

The Doctor tried to concentrate on the voices, wondering abstractly if this was what it was like to be a molecule in one of the four corners of the universe. He gave a low moan and the first voice spoke again, nearer this time. "See, I was right. He is waking up."

The Doctor managed to open his eyes, only to shut them again, the bright light in the room stabbing through his brain like a hot knife.

"Lou, turn the lights down," the second voice snapped. "Remember what the Doc said about light sensitivity." The room went into partial darkness and the Doctor tried again, this time managing to open his eyes enough to focus on the faces above him. "Welcome back," the first voice that apparently belonged to Lou said happily. "You gave us quite a scare."

"I gave myself quite a scare," the Doctor replied softly. He moved a hand to his chest, feeling the bandages over where his right heart should be. If he'd regenerated, there would be no need for them and he closed his eyes in relief. "I take it I'm not dead."

Lou laughed. "No. Cause if this is the afterlife—"

"Shut up, Lou, and go get Doc Learner," Joe snapped. Lou gave him a sour look before doing as he was told. "Sorry about that," Joe said gently as he checked the readings on the monitors above the bed. "I'm sure it's a bit of a shock for you, ending up here and not…" He waved a hand to indicate the vast nothingness of space. "Troy'll explain it. He knows all that technical stuff. His name's Troy—Doc Leaner, I mean."

Joe gave a small smile that the Doctor thought was meant to be reassuring. The man attending him had obviously been injured in the fighting that was raging throughout the country. His face was badly scarred and he did not seem to have full use of one arm.

As he studied his unlikely attendant, the Doctor felt his mind clearing with each passing second. "Have you been looking after me, Joe?" he asked.

Joe looked up, a smile twisting his already twisted face. "Yeah. Me and Lou."

"Thank you. I'm the Doctor, by the way."

"Really," came a stern voice from across the room. "I thought I was the Doctor around here."

Joe looked up. "Our friend finally woke up, Troy," he announced happily.

"I can see that," the physician replied in a playful tone. "Joe, go see that Lou stays out of trouble while I talk to Doctor…?"

"Just Doctor," the Time Lord said calmly.

Joe patted the Doctor reassuringly on the shoulder. "I'll be back to look after you," he promised before scuttling off in search of his partner.

Dr. Troy Learner waited until the door closed before turning to his patient. He was younger than the Doctor expected, thin and dark, but with the look of a man with the weight of the world on his shoulders. "I'm sure you're bursting with questions," Troy said as he pulled up a chair.

"A few. Would I be correct in assuming that the signal from the dispersal disk was picked up by your transmat?" the Doctor asked blandly. "And would I also be correct in assuming that once I landed up here, someone, possibly yourself, preformed the surgery that saved my life?"

The physician's mouth dropped open. After a few stunned seconds, he nodded before finally finding his voice. "Yes. That's it in one. How in the world did you know all that?"

"My dear Dr. Learner," the Time Lord replied, "this isn't the only planet in the cosmos with transmat technology."

"No, I suppose not," Troy heard himself saying. He gave the Doctor a curious look. "Why do I get the feeling I'm the one who should be getting answers from you?"

oOoOoOo


	14. Mission Day 49

**MISSION DAY 49**

In a tunnel full of refugees not unlike the one Philip had taken the Doctor to after his arrival, a robed figure moved among the refugees. There were several fires burning along the street in a vain attempt to ward off the cold of the approaching winter. The man went from person to person, dispensing food and medicine from a large sack. Suddenly a boy was pulling at his arm, begging him for help. "Please, Brother, please! My mommy's dying!"

"We're all dying, boy," an old man cackled.

The robed man ignored this remark and turned to the child. "Where's your mother?" he asked gently, following the boy to a large cardboard box. He could hear a woman moaning, but when he looked inside, he knew it was not because she was dying. The woman on the mattress inside the box was in labor.

The Brother dropped his sack and was inside on his knees in an instant. He put a hand on the woman's rounded abdomen and turned back to a small crowd that was gathering outside. "I need more light! Somebody get some torches over here. Quickly!" he commanded. He looked back, seeing the woman's terrified face. "Don't worry. I've delivered dozens of babies. You're going to be fine." He pushed the hood back to get it out of his way, revealing his face.

Between her moans, the woman said, "Thank you, Brother..."

"Krystovan," Jason replied before calling for light yet again.

oOo

Jason walked through the streets of the city, his hood pulled back from his face. He stopped and talked to as many as he could about the insanity raging around them. Snow was falling gently from the sky and he stopped to look up at it, his thoughts going to the beautiful, healthy infant he had just delivered.

He entered a building that looked as though it might at one time have been a school. He had been told it was as a field hospital. There were dozens of injured people within and precious little medial staff to aid them. The only advantage here was that the building still had heat.

"If you've come to pray for our sins, Brother," a gruff voice said from behind him, "don't bother. Nobody's prayers get answered here."

Jason turned to see a short, balding man looking challengingly up at him. He was wearing a tattered blue lab coat and had a stethoscope slung over his neck. He was dressed so stereotypically as a physician that the Alterran almost laughed. He gave the man his most disarming smile. "That depends on what you've been praying for," he replied mildly. "I'm a surgeon."

oOo

The Alterran eventually found himself in a morgue, one of dozens all over the city. He was still dressed in his monk's robes, his face again concealed beneath the hood. There was no heat in this place, and the icy cold from outside had crept into every crack. Jason's breath rose like smoke as he moved around the room. He took in the desolation caused by prejudice and blind hatred and was both sickened and enraged by it.

He noticed that the room was strangely quiet. Every so often a new arrival would be brought in and placed among the others, and even this was done with a quiet reverence. At least in death these people could find peace.

The body of a man was brought in and Jason scowled when he noticed there wasn't a mark on him. He crossed silently to the litter bearers as they were putting him on a slab. "Excuse me," he said softly. Despite keeping his voice low, he still made the men jump. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to startle you," he said mildly. "I'm still among the living."

"Sorry, Brother. We thought Benji'd come back from the dead again," the first man said, pulling off his hat as he spoke. He quickly ran his fingers through his hair in a vain effort to make himself presentable. He was a stocky man who seemed no stranger to physical labor and looked considerably older than his twenty-something years of age. The war seemed to have aged everyone beyond their years, Jason reflected sadly.

"Again?" he repeated. "Mister…?"

The man gave him a toothy grin. "I'm no mister, Brother. Just call me Pete." He jerked a thumb in his partner's direction. "He's Tim." He leaned close, saying as though it were a secret, "He don't talk no more."

Jason nodded conspiratorially, throwing a quick glance over at the silent Tim. He seemed just a boy, sixteen at the most. Another person aged beyond his years. "What did you mean come back from the dead again, Pete?" he asked, turning back to face him.

"Oh! This here's Benji." Pete held a hand out as if he were making a formal introduction. "Benji got himself dispersed a few weeks back." He put his hat over his heart and held up his other hand as if he were swearing an oath. "That's the God's honest truth, Brother!"

"I believe you, Pete," Jason replied mildly. "Did you see him get…dispersed?"

"Yeah, we was all there, wasn't we, Tim? Me, Tim, Benji and some of the guys from the neighborhood. We was hidin' out in this house. The bad guys—I don't know whose side they was on, 'cause I ain't on no side, see?—Well, anyway, we seen the bad guys comin' up the street so we all hid. But Benji got scared and ran."

The image of the confrontation was so vivid Jason could see it happening as the man spoke. Benji was captured, pushed around by the bullies with guns, and then had a dispersal disk slapped on him. This incident apparently occurred just after the dispersal disks went into production, so the technology was totally new and totally terrifying. Benji had vanished into thin air and, as far a Pete was concerned, was dead. Jason, however, knew better. Benji should have gone straight to the Sanctuary. More importantly, he should've still been there, not lying dead on a slab back where he started.

Jason came back to reality when he realized Pete had stopped talking and was looking at him in bewilderment. "I'm sorry, Pete," the Alterran said mildly. "As you can imagine, I find this very distressing. You and Tim carry on with your job. I'll look after of Benji for you."

"Bless you, Brother," Pete said gratefully. Then to Jason's embarrassment, the man dropped to one knee and kissed his ring. It was the signet ring of the Royal House of Krystovan, not that Pete would have known any different. Then he quickly replaced his hat and scuttled off, taking the silent Tim with him.

"I have got to find a better disguise," Jason muttered in exasperation. He looked at the ornate sapphire ring on his right hand and shook his head before turning his attention back to the late Benji. He pulled back his hood and sat down to get a better look at the body. With a single touch, he scanned the body and dis­covered three things. First, Benji had died of a heart attack. Second, it seemed to have been caused by a faulty pacemaker. Third, the power source shouldn't exist on Eldeberon.

Jason examined the man's chest, finding no surgical scars that would suggest the device's implantation. Nor had he detected any defect that would have required it in the first place. His curiosity fully piqued, he retrieved some instruments from the coroner's supply and opened the man's chest and removed the offending device.

A sudden thought struck him and he looked around the room. "Were you the only one to leave the Sanctuary, Benji?" Jason asked, reaching out to touch another body. No, this man died from a shrapnel wound. The next was similar injury, and the next, and the next. He was about to give up when he found another heart attack. Another alien pacemaker.

By the time he had gone through the entire room, Jason had discovered some thirty-four alien pacemakers. He had also been able to verify that they came from individuals who were supposed to have been dispersed. At first, he was angry at the thought that someone in the Sanctuary would be doing this. Then he wondered if the Glyateven had penetrated his safe haven and were sabotaging it from the inside. His ship had already picked up transmission traffic. Was it from a spy? It was only then that Jason had the most horrifying thought of all. He'd sent the Doctor to the Sanctuary to be safe but instead he may have inadvertently sent him to his death.

oOoOoOo


	15. Mission Day 50

**MISSION DAY 50**

The Doctor was in his hospital room in the Sanctuary, preparing to leave. In the two days he'd spent recovering, he learned that the Sanctuary was a secret haven for those individuals that the Triad believed their weapons were eliminating. At one point in time, the former space freighter crash-landed in a remote area of the planet. The lone occupant becoming known to the local villagers as the Benefactor, his origins unknown.

He also learned that a holo-projection of a simple farmhouse was being used to disguise the freighter from the outside world. No one seemed to know how the lower levels became buried below ground. What they did know was that the farm was dubbed 'The Sanctu­ary' by the local villagers, its having been turned into a kind of volunteer country hospital. The Benefactor had shared his origins with a select few, exchanging for their silence for the advanced medical technology available on the damaged ship.

The story the Doctor had been told was that when the dispersal disks went into use, the apparently forgotten transmat in the Sanctuary reactivated, acting as a retrieval station. By this time, many of those from the surrounding area had taken refuge within the Sanctuary's walls and they begged the Benefactor to shield the additional people suddenly being deposited on his doorstep. He had agreed under the con­dition that anyone arriving in this manner would remain until the hostilities ended.

The Benefactor tapped on the door before entering. "Your recovery has been nothing short of remarkable, Doctor," he said as he entered the room.

"Perhaps I wasn't injured as badly as everyone believed," the Time Lord replied evasively.

"Perhaps. I also understand that you've asked to leave us."

"Yes. I appreciate everything that's been done for me, Benefactor," the Doctor said gratefully, "but I've left some people back in the city who rather desperately need my help."

The Benefactor inclined his head. "I understand your wish to return, Doctor," he said calmly. "But there _is_ the simple matter of secrecy."

"Yes, I'm aware of that," the Time Lord replied mildly.

"There are several thousand people within these walls already. Hundreds more to follow, I'm sure. If the secret were to get out…"

"Forgive me, but if the Triad—Tri Global—aren't stopped, you'll run out of room because you'll have hundreds of thousands. And then the fighting will just break out here. You've already got to keep some factions on different levels just to keep the peace now," the Doctor pointed out more harshly than he intended.

"You really believe it's as simple as that?" the Benefactor asked in an amazed tone.

"Yes. It's like fighting a giant snake. You have to cut off its head," the Doctor replied seriously. "And in the case of the Glyateven, the head is the Triad."

The Benefactor stepped back as though to look at him and the Doctor could not help but wonder at his expression. "The_ whole_ Triad, Doctor? It was my understanding that one of them was a friend of yours."

"Yes. Apparently _was _is the operative word," the Time Lord replied darkly. "He's the one who put the bullet through my chest."

Trevor was glad the Doctor could not see his face and he smiled. He was not about to reveal that the fact that Jason had purposely sent him to the Sanctuary to be cared for. He held up a hand as though he were shocked. "Forgive me. I had no idea," he lied. "I must confess, had found it curious that someone of your intelligence could be friends with any of the Triad. They are such…well, violent individuals."

"Yes. Well, that didn't used to be the case," the Time Lord replied sadly.

The robed man nodded. "Indeed. I've heard stories about the members of the Triad from the refugees that would—" He broke off when a pained look came to the Doctor's face. He waved a hand in the air. "But that's beside the point, isn't it? We've all left others behind at one point or another."

"It's not about the people I left behind, Benefactor, it's about saving this planet from a possible alien invasion."

"Alien invasion?" the Benefactor repeated. Seeing the serious look on the Time Lord's face, he said equally seriously. "You say that is if you've had personal experience."

"I have, as it happens. And so has my…um, _friend _in the Triad." The Doctor's expression darkened. "That concerns me more than what he did to me, to be honest."

"I don't understand?"

"I can stop him, and he knows it. The fact that he actually tried to kill me only confirms my worst fears. If you're transmat hadn't intercepted my signal, I'd be dead now." A haunted look came to the Doctor's face. "I never thought we'd be on opposite sides like this. It makes what I have to do that much harder."

"What you have to do?"

"Yes. Stop him by any means necessary."

This could not have delighted Trevor more to hear. He had to fight to maintain his composure. "I see," he said blandly and then drew a deep breath. "And after you stop him, what then? I assume you're not from this planet, Doctor."

The Doctor hesitated. "No, I'm not. I'm a traveler," he replied evasively.

"Ah, travel…" came the wistful reply. "My days of travel are behind me, thank goodness."

"You don't want to leave?" came the surprised reply. "And here I thought you'd be asking me to take you home."

The Benefactor held up his hands. "Goodness, no. I was very content among these simple peo­ple before this madness started. Their petty squabbles are nothing compared to what I've seen on other worlds. Ironically, I came here to get away from all that."

"Difficult to do with an alien invasion force camped on one's doorstep," the Doctor pointed out sharply.

"Indeed. You're right, of course. I should do all I can to stop this insanity," the robed man replied firmly. "And if that means breaking my own rules than…so be it."

The Doctor smiled broadly. "I take it that means I can go?"

"If it means putting an end to all this, then yes," the Benefactor replied. "I'm sure someone will be able to arrange transportation to the city for you." He turned and started up the corridor. "Come, I believe Troy is in the clinic. Perhaps we can get you on your way today."

oOo

The Doctor's journey from the Sanctuary to the city took several hours to complete. It involved a lengthy drive along back roads and semi-destroyed streets that finally ended at the playground in Founder's Park. At some point between his arrival and his return to the park, the TARDIS had vanished, much to his annoyance.

The Time Lord heard the sound of footsteps crunching in the snow and took refuge in the trees. This section of the park seemed to be a shortcut for many, for which he was grateful. Otherwise this individual would have seen his solitary set of tracks in the snow.

To the Doctor's bewilderment, a man dressed in monk's robes walked past and he wondered if the Benefactor had also come to the city. The car that had dropped him off was still in the street near the playground and the driver leaned out and called, "Brother, do you need a lift somewhere?"

"That's very generous of you," the Brother replied urbanely.

The Doctor found himself relaxing when he heard the voice, it wasn't the Benefactor's. This man obviously was a real member of the local religious order. He watched as the Brother got into the car and did not come out of hiding until the vehicle had driven away. He turned to continue his journey, completely unaware of the fact that he had just watched Jason pass by in disguise.

oOo

The Doctor returned to the tunnel used by Telvec's group and was delighted to learn that those who remained outside had rescued the entire raiding party that had been captured with him. He found himself greeted with shock and suspicion. Before he could assure the group's leader that he was not a spy; and Philip that he had not risen from the dead someone asked him, to his surprise, if he had been to the Sanctuary, which prompted an explosion of rumors that had sprung up surrounding the facility.

Telvec had been in the middle of laying out the plans for a second raid on Tri Global's headquarters and found this interruption an annoyance. When he finally regained everyone's attention, he continued reviewing the plans, having been able to coordinate his efforts with several other groups. This time everything was meticulously planned, including enlisting the help of an inside person.

The plan called for a diversion in another part of the city, the idea being to draw as many of Tri Global's forces away from the headquarters as possible. Unlike the original debacle, this plan worked perfectly. The inside man disabled the alarms and was waiting when the group arrived.

The purpose of the mission, according to Telvec, was to take control of the building and remove the Triad from power. He had no way of knowing that this had already been done for him.

oOo

Night was already falling by the time Jason arrived at the Tri Global building. He changed back into his green coveralls before entering and went directly to the penthouse, finding it empty, which suited him just fine. He crossed to the computer to learn what had been going on in his absence. To his horror, he discovered the memory of the entire computer network had been wiped shortly before his arrival. Wondering what the implications of this might be, he wandered aimlessly around the room, lost in thought. He was near the center of the room when ONE and TWO entered.

"Was your tour of the competitions' operations productive, THREE?" ONE asked calmly.

"Moderately so," Jason replied blandly. "As I suspected, they're markedly inferior to—" He broke off when he saw several distant flashes in the fast darkening sky. "Now what?"

"One of the factions is attacking a storage facility," ONE informed matter of factly.

"You don't seem too surprised."

"These creatures are fleas, nothing more," TWO snorted derisively. "Not worthy even to be called an adversary."

"Unlike yourself," ONE added coldly.

Jason turned back to face him. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"Sanctuary," ONE replied, smiling at the appalled look this single word produced.

"Don't even bother denying it, you lying alien scum," TWO snarled, plunging a knife into the unprepared Alterran's side.

At first, Jason thought he'd been punched. It wasn't until he looked down and saw the handle protruding from his body that he realized he'd been stabbed. He looked at his attacker in shock, his eyes wide. His legs gave way and he sank to the floor, the blade still in his side. He expected to be stabbed again, which had been the original plan until a third party changed the scenario. To Jason's amazement, he saw TWO reaching for the laser pistol in his belt.

What happened next seemed to happen in slow motion.

As TWO pulled his weapon, ONE drew one of his own. The two shouted various insults at one another, firing at the same instant. The shots struck home, burning a gaping hole into their chests, killing them instantly. Their bodies hit the floor at almost the same instant.

Not quite believing what had just happened, Jason lay on the floor staring at the ceiling in shock. He closed his eyes in pain, a hand going to his side. Then he heard the sound of running feet. With luck, it would be security.

Telvec and his followers burst into the penthouse office and stopped short at the sight of Leaders ONE and TWO sprawled dead on the floor, each with a large hole burned into his chest. Jason was in a pool of blood on the floor between them, a knife protruding from his side. The only sound in the room was the Alterran's labored breathing.

"What the hell happened in here?" Telvec gasped, looking around in amazement.

"I think someone beat us to it," someone replied.

The Doctor ignored them, making straight for the gravely injured Alterran, who gave him a shocked look when he knelt down beside him. He assumed this was because he was supposed to be dead and gave it no other thought.

Jason, on the other hand, was wondering how the hell he had managed to talk himself out of the Sanctuary and back to the city. "They killed each other," he heard himself saying. "And I think they've killed me, too."

"This isn't the time for melodramatics," the Doctor replied tersely. "It's bad, but I don't think any major organs are involved. So long as that knife stays put you're in no danger of bleeding to death." Looking up, he ordered, "Telvec send for a medic."

"What for?" Telvec snarled.

"_What for?_ You've an injured man in need medical attention, _that's_ what for!" the Doctor snapped angrily.

"I'm not wasting what little medical supplies I have on the likes of him!"

"If you want to learn the Triad's plans, Telvec, you'd best keep him alive."

Telvec snorted, crossing to the main computer terminal. "What do I need him for? I can learn everything I need from this thing. Supply routes, storage facilities, trading partners..." The smug expression on his face faded as he tried unsuccessfully to bring up any information. "If I can just …bring up…the files…" He frowned, cursing under his breath. "What's wrong with this thing?"

"The memory core's been wiped," Jason informed quietly.

The Doctor gave him a stunned look. "Wiped? By whom?"

"I don't know."

"You don't believe him, do you?" Telvec said angrily. "He's one of them."

Jason gave a small smile of irony. "Am I?" he muttered softly.

"You conniving alien bastard," Telvec snarled. He yanked the knife from the Alterran's side, pulling a cry of pain from him at the same time. Before he could strike a fatal blow, the Doctor grabbed his arm. "Give me that!" he snapped, wrestling the blade from his hand and savagely clubbing the astonished man to the floor at the same time. "Is _this_ your glorious neworder?" he demanded angrily, throwing the knife across the room.

Jason moaned in pain, a hand going to the gash in his side. The knife had been acting as a plug, keeping the bleeding in check. With the plug gone, he was now bleeding profusely. He cried out in pain, grabbing the Doctor with his free hand as the Time Lord pressed his hands on the wound to try and stop the flow of blood.

"Get me that medic!" the Doctor cried. To his horror, air bubbles started to percolate between his fingers and he realized that when Telvec pulled the knife free he had also nicked a lung. If help didn't arrive soon, the Alterran would either bleed to death or drown in his own blood.

Having reached the same conclusion, Jason moved his hand from his wound, pulling a disk from his pocket. "It's too late," he said quietly.

The Doctor saw a dispersal disk between his fingers. "No!"

As Jason had said, it was too late. The disk had already activated and together they faded from the room.

"Jason, you don't know what you're—!"

The Doctor was not where he expected to be and looked around in blank astonishment. He had assumed he would end up at the Sanctuary. Instead, he was in the transmat station on the flight deck of a fully operational spaceship. Beside him, Jason let out a low moan, the disk dropping from his fingers and clattering to the floor. His breathing had turned into a low wheeze and the Doctor feared his lung was close to collapsing, if it hadn't already.

"Recall signal," Jason informed painfully.

"Recall?" Suddenly the Doctor understood. "This is the _ARGO_!"

"Yes." As firmly he could manage, the prince said, "Computer, activate sickbay."

"**Activating."**

The wall to the Doctor's right parted, revealing the ship's sickbay beyond. Needing no further prompting, the Time Lord lifted the gravely injured Alterran from the floor and carried him into the room, placing him gently on an examining table.

"**Please step away from the patient,"** the computer requested.

"Déjà vu," Jason said weakly as the Doctor took a half step back. "Now I'm the one…who's going to…bleed to death."

"Do you think so little of your computer?" the Doctor asked pointedly. "Or of me?" The reply was not what he expected.

"Computer, command function…designation—The Doctor."

"**Acknowledged,"** the computer replied. **"Initiating diagnostic scan."**

He was certain he was about to die and wanted to simply say good-bye. Before he could say anything at all, however, his eyes rolled back into his head and he lost consciousness. The same instant, the table retracted into the computer and the scan of his body began. Minutes passed like hours as the systems hummed and buzzed.

The Doctor nearly jumped out of his skin when an alarm suddenly sounded. Then another, and another… He dashed from one terminal to another, trying unsuccessfully to get into the cabinet, but the scan had locked out all the instruments. Finally, he thumped his fist on the Med-computer in frustration and the alarms stopped as abruptly as they started.

The Doctor blinked, looking at the computer in bewilderment. "Computer," he said at last, "what's your patient's status?"

"**All physical activity has ceased,"** the computer replied blandly.

The Doctor felt both his hearts miss a beat. "You mean he's dead?"

"**All physical activity has ceased,"** the computer repeated.

The Doctor gave the machine an annoyed look and muttered a few uncomplimentary phrases. He cleaned the blood from his hands and found himself wishing he had arrived a few minutes earlier. Perhaps then…

Shaking off these thoughts, he set about the painful process of preparing the Alterran's body for transport back to Tel-Shye. Whatever his old friend may have turned in to, the Doctor felt his family deserved the have him back properly. With the assistance of the computer, he was able to clean the blood from Jason's body and change he clothes from those of the Triad to his more traditional casual style. Finally, he moved him to a transport capsule.

The Doctor stood looking down at the inert form for several minutes, dozens of questions flying through his head. The predominant one being _why?_ Why had his former companion and, apparently, former friend chosen to abandon his values, ideals, and—yes, his morals? Why had he turned on everything that he once held dear? _Why?_

"_O proud death_," the Doctor quoted._ "What feast is toward in thine eternal cell? That thou so many princes at a shot. So bloodily hast struck?"_ He drew a deep breath. "Oh, Jason. What happened to you? How could you've come to _this?_" he said in a quiet sad voice. Regrettably, he knew he would never learn the answers to these questions and finally closed and sealed the capsule.With this difficult and heartbreaking job out of the way, the Time Lord crossed to the command chair and practically fell into it, feeling completely exhausted. After a few minutes, he asked, "Computer, is it possible to contact Tri Global headquarters?"

"**Affirmative."**

"Then do so."

A moment later, he saw the bewildered face of Telvec on the main screen. "I see you've managed to hold your command position," the Doctor remarked, causing the man to jump.

Telvec looked at the face on the screen in shock and then leaned in close. He had only seen a video link on science fictions programs on television. Would the real thing be as simple to use? he wondered and cleared his throat nervously. "Er, hello, Doctor. Back from the dead again, I see. Where are you?"

"I'm aboard the _ARGO_," the Time Lord replied unhelpfully.

Telvec scowled. "The…_ARGO?_"

"Yes, it's Jason's shuttlecraft. Never mind that," the Doctor said dismissively, "I've called to tell you that Jason didn't make it."

This news caused the room to erupt into a mass of chatter. "Quiet!" the leader thun­dered. "Doctor, are you telling me that friend of yours is dead?"

"Yes, Telvec, that is exactly what I am telling you. There is no more Triad."

Telvec sat down before the screen; growing more comfortable with the technology the longer he used it. "Look, Doctor, I know he was your friend once, but I won't pretend to being sad that he's dead."

The Doctor nodded, understanding the man's feelings.

"When're you coming back?" Telvec then asked.

"Back? What do you need me for?" the Time Lord wanted to know.

"We've located the local warehouse. Victory's in hand."

The Doctor sighed heavily. "You've a long way to go before you can declare victory, Telvec. The price that's been paid already is too high. I can see nothing worth celebrating in that."

"You really are a Sage, Doctor," Telvec stated admiringly.

"Thank you, Telvec. But right now, I don't feel very wise. Just very old." With that, he cut the transmission. The Doctor sat staring into space for several minutes, lost in thought. Finally, he looked up at the blank screen in front of him. "Computer, how do I access Jason's personal logs?" He expected to be refused entry and was not disappointed.

"**Command designation required."**

The Doctor was about to start hacking into the system when Jason's last words returned to mind. "Command designation—The Doctor," he said firmly.

"**Authorization accepted,"** the computer replied.

A monitor in the console came to life, presenting the Doctor with a menu of options. He pulled up the listing of all the entries and saw he had hundreds from which to choose. "How many separate logs are there?" he asked.

"**Four."**

"Isolate just the personal log entries after arrival on Eldeberon."

The screen flashed, eliminating the majority of the entries. It still left more than a hundred to go through.

"I'll take days to sort through that lot," the Doctor muttered. "Unless…" He had a flash of inspira­tion. Jason was a brilliant programmer and would've gone out of his way to make the information in his ship's computer easily accessible. There had to be a way of sorting through everything quickly. "Computer, is it possible to search through the log for specific entries?"

"**Affirmative. Please indicate search parameters."**

Another menu flashed up and the Doctor gave a satisfied grunt when he saw the numerous options available. "Multiple search. Keywords: Glyateven, Triad, and the Doctor."

"**Acknowledged. Searching."**

The screen dimmed and the Doctor heaved a heavy sigh. He leaned forward and laid his head in his arms, closing his eyes. He intended to rest until the computer completed its search. His exhausted and still recuperating body had other ideas and he fell fast asleep.

oOoOoOo


	16. Mission Day 51

**MISSION DAY 51**

The panel on which the Doctor was leaning started beeping softly for attention. Eventually he opened his eyes and sat up, cursing himself when he realized he had dozed off. In front of him, the monitor displayed the results of his search, ready and waiting for his attention.

"Computer, how long have I been asleep?" he asked.

"**Five hours, twenty-three minutes.**

"What! Why didn't you wake me?"

"**No request was—"**

"Alright, shut up" the Doctor said in annoyance as he got to his feet. "I know, I didn't ask you to. Stupid computer." He stretched his arms into the air, pulling the kinks from his body. "That's a very long time to stay in one position." He realized the beeping from the console had not stopped and looked at it in annoyance. "What is that noise?"

Silence.

The Doctor gave an annoyed sighed. _Stupid Doctor, you told it to shut up_. "Computer, what is that noise?"

"**Long range sensor warning. Three Glyateven warships have entered this stellar system."**

"What? Display sensor track" The Doctor returned to the command chair at the main view screen. The computer brought up a visual reference of the Eldeberon solar system showing three small dots on a direct course for the planet itself. He scowled when he noticed how close they were to the planet and wondered how long the sensor warning had been sounding before it finally woke him.

"**Incoming transmission,"** the computer announced.

"From whom?"

"**Glyateven Fleet Commander Fontraal."**

"Not much of a fleet," the Doctor observed unkindly.

"**Transmission acknowledged."**

The Doctor did not like the sound of that at all. Then he wondered if the Glyateven forces currently on Eldeberon were simply the advanced guard. Had his fears been correct? Had Jason been helping to lay the groundwork for a full-fledged invasion? If so, were the incoming ships the next wave?

"Where did the acknowledgment originate?" he asked.

"**Acknowledgement initiated through this unit's automatic response sequence."**

This only seemed to confirm the Doctor's suspicions and his eyes flashing over the instruments before him. He was about to begin interrogating the computer further when the main screen changed again.

"**Automatic response commencing."**

The Doctor sat back in amazement as the prince suddenly appeared on screen. He was dressed in full Ambassadorial regalia, and had included his elaborate Alterran collar of rank just to add to the effect. "Glyateven Command," he began in an official tone. "I am Ambassador Krystovan. You're receiving this prerecorded message because I haven't the time to sit and wait for incompetents to grace me with their presence. All escaped prisoners have been accounted for and retrieval tags implanted, including those who died upon arrival. The resonance signature codes are being transmitted with this recording." Jason's voice dropped and became slightly threatening as he said, "Your inability to arrive in a timely manner and your government's disregard of this system's restricted status will be highlighted in my report. Krystovan out."

The screen went blank and the Doctor sat staring in astonishment. "It was all one big elaborate deception, wasn't it?" he said, a hint of anger creeping into his voice. He got to his feet, crossing to the transport capsule that held the prince's inert form. "Why didn't you tell me?" he demanded angrily. "You thickheaded Alterran! Why didn't you tell me?"

"**Removal commencing,"** the computer announced.

"Shut up!" the Time Lord snarled.

A few minutes later, Telvec's face appeared on the screen. "Doctor?" he called desperately. "Doctor, can you hear me?" He looked at the controls in front of him and then the man beside him. "Damn it, is this thing working?"

The Doctor touched a button. "Yes, I hear you Telvec. What's the panic?"

"Something's gone wrong!" the leader replied. "Tri Global—the Triad—whatever you call it. Their people are pulling out all over the country. They know what we've done and they're regrouping for an attack!"

"Telvec, calm down," the Doctor replied. "They're not regrouping. They're being removed from the planet. You won't have to worry about—" He broke off as the transmission abruptly cut out and an unpleasant looking Glyateven warrior appeared on screen. "I am Fleet Commander Fontraal. Identify yourself."

"Computer, did he just break into my transmission?"

"**Affirmative."**

"Cheek!" the Time Lord snorted. He pressed the transmit button. "Yes, hello, Fleet Com­mander. I'm the Doctor. Can I help you?" he asked politely.

"What do you know of our mission here?" the Commander demanded.

The Doctor blinked. _Well, nothing like coming to the point_, he thought. "Well…only what I saw in Ambassador Krystovan's message," he said truthfully.

"Where is the Ambassador?"

"Ah. He's dead, I'm afraid."

Fontraal frowned. "You're certain of this?" he asked suspiciously.

The Doctor threw a quick glance back in the direction of the transport capsule. "Yes, I'm quite certain. I'm in the process of preparing his body for transport back to his people."

"You're not of this world?" the Glyateven asked, his suspicious tone unchanged.

The Doctor wanted to kick himself. "No. I'm just a traveler."

"Then you will travel with us," Fontraal replied, motioning to one of his officers. "No one is to know of this…error."

The flight deck started to hum and the Doctor looked around in bewilderment. Then he realized that Fontraal was attempting to have him transported from the ship. For reasons he did not know at the time, the Glyateven could not get an exact lock on his position and the incoming power sent him staggering. He grabbed at the command chair to keep from falling. He could feel his cells being pulled apart and sank to his knees as the power increased.

"Computer, help me," he gasped out painfully before dropping to the floor. Just as he was losing consciousness, it flashed through his mind that his request had been too vague for Jason's literal-minded computer to understand.

Luckily, in this instance, the Doctor was wrong.

"**Activating defense mode. Defense shields raised. Jamming signal activated,"** the computer announced blandly.

Fontraal's smug expression faded as contact was lost. He turned to the officer beside him. "What happened?" he demanded.

"We lost contact."

"Well, reestablish it!"

"I can't, sir," came the helpless reply. "The signal was being bounced off of the planet's communication satellites. We lost contact before we could get a fix on the transmission source."

Fontraal was less than thrilled to hear this. "What am I to tell central command when this Doctor appears—"

"He won't, sir," the officer replied. "Without a proper transport lock, his body would've been scrambled beyond recognition. I doubt anyone will ever find him."

oOoOoOo


	17. Mission Day 53

**MISSION DAY 53**

When the Doctor returned to his senses, he immediately wished he hadn't. He felt as though his insides had been put through a blender. He groaned and opened his eyes, finding himself staring at the ceiling in the sickbay.

"That was a singularly unpleasant experience," he muttered as he sat up, discovering at the same time that he was on an examination couch. He put a hand to his head to stop it spinning, wondering abstractly why the room would not stop along with it.

"Computer," he said at last, "how long have I been unconscious?"

"**Thirty-nine hours, forty-two minutes."**

"What!" he cried out, and then wished he hadn't done that either. "How did I get from the flight deck to the sickbay?" he asked in a subdued voice.

The computer gave a concise report of events. After the Doctor's request for help, defense shields activated, protecting the Time Lord from further attack. He was transported into the sickbay and placed in stasis while repairs to his damaged body were carried out. When this was completed, the stasis field shut down, allowing him to awaken on his own.

The Doctor sat back in amazement. "All that by simply asking for help," he observed, clearly impressed. He looked over at the transport capsule, giving a small salute. "If nothing else, Jason, you were a programmer extraordinaire." He made to rise, discovering at the same time that he was wearing only a sheet.

"Um, computer, where are my clothes?"

A light came on across the room, illuminating his clothes hanging against the wall. They appeared to have been cleaned, pressed and repaired of all damage.

The Doctor got shakily to his feet, wrapping himself in the sheet. He waited a moment to make certain he was steady enough to cross the room before finally attempting it.

"**Do you desire nourishment?"** asked the computer, and a food synthesizer lit up not far from his clothes.

"Well, such service," the Doctor remarked. He got dressed slowly, allowing his head to clear more fully. He then dialed up a light breakfast, carrying it to the flight deck where he sat down and started to drink his tea, finally feeling like his old self again. He looked up at the map of the Eldeberon system that was still on the main view screen. _After nearly forty hours, the fleet would be long gone,_ he thought. "What's the status of the fleet?" he asked casually.

The reply was not what he expected. "**The Glyateven command ship exploded forty-eight minutes after leaving orbit**," the computer said blandly. "**Subsequent explosions destroyed the accompanying ships."**

The Doctor almost choked on his tea. "What? All the ships were destroyed?"

"**Affirmative."**

"Well, Fontraal, looks as though you got your wish. Now even you can't tell of this error," the Doctor muttered darkly. As he finished his breakfast, he wondered what the implications of all this might mean. Before he could decide on any course of action, the main systems in the sickbay came to life. The rising hum gained the Doctor's attention and he turned in time to see the transport capsule containing Jason's body glowing. A moment later, the Alterran was back on the examination table, which immediately retracted into the scanning cabinet.

"Computer, what's going on?"

"**Revival program initiated,"** the computer replied. The Doctor watched in amazement as the system monitors came to life, the inside of the Med-cabinet glowing dully in response. **"Repair program commencing."**

"Repair program? Computer, explain. What is happening?"

"**Patient is being revived from stasis,"** came the startling reply. "**Repairs of physical injuries in progress. Revival halted until blood volume returned to safe levels."**

The Doctor found himself unable to take it all in. He crossed to the Med-cabinet and looked in at the pale, motionless occupant. "Computer, your patient _died_ almost two days ago."

"**Negative. Patient placed in stasis when blood volume dropped below critical level. Stasis maintained until revival mode activated."**

The Doctor cursed the logic of computers and Jason's genius at programming them. "What activated the revival mode?" he asked.

"**Revival mode activated by preprogrammed system trigger."**

"In other words, you don't know."

"**Revival mode activated by preprogrammed system trigger,"** the computer repeated.

"Oh, shut up!" the Doctor snapped impatiently. He could see Jason's color was already returning to normal. "So, you're not dead after all," he observed darkly. "But you went to an awful lot of trouble to make sure everyone, including me, thought you were. Was it just to outwit the Glyateven? Or was it to leave _you_ as the last of the Triad in sole control of Tri Global and the power that goes with it? A deception within a deception." The Doctor drew a deep breath, adding admiringly, "Programmer extraordinaire."

Within half an hour, the revival program was completed and Jason was opening his eyes. He struggled to focus on his surroundings. _He was in a box. Why was he in a box?_ Then his mind cleared enough for him to realize he was inside the recovery cabinet in his own sickbay, the green light within glowing slightly brighter as he came more fully awake.

"Jason, can you hear me?"

The prince jumped, startled by the unexpected voice. He tried to focus his muddled brain without success._ The Doctor? Here? How did he get here? What happened…?_

"Jason, it's the Doctor. Can you hear me?"

"Yes," Jason said weakly. "Where…?"

"You're onboard the _ARGO_," the Doctor replied cautiously. "You brought us here. Do you remember?"

"Not…really…" the Alterran repeated faintly. "Computer, what's my—?"

"Cancel," the Doctor cut in. "This is no time to play Healer, Jason. You're the patient now. You let me worry about your status." He prayed the Alterran was too weak and confused to refuse or fight him. Of course, he was working under the incorrect assumption that the prince no longer trusted him, which was the furthest thing from the truth.

Closing his eyes, Jason nodded. Even though he could not see the Doctor properly, he knew that the Doctor could see him. He also knew what the Time Lord wasn't telling him. Within the recovery cabinet, located directly above his head was a monitor that displayed his status as well as how much time had passed since his arrival on the _ARGO_. Within a minute, he learned that the extraction ships had come and gone. He had programmed the computer to revive him forty hours after the Glyateven left orbit, just to make certain they did not attempt to take him with them, or worse. He drew a deep breath and tried to get hold of his thoughts. This was nearly impossible to do. "Did I pass out?" he asked finally.

"Yes. Just after we arrived," the Time Lord replied truthfully, choosing not to tell him that this had been two days ago.

"I'm so…tired…"

"Not surprising. You lost an awful lot of blood," the Doctor informed quietly.

The prince nodded and struggled to get his head together. He found it curious that the Doctor had omitted telling him how long he had been unconscious and wondered if he did not want to worry him. "Is it safe now?" he heard himself asking.

The Doctor was uncertain how to take this question. He knew from his own experience that revival from stasis left one very disoriented, and Jason had been under for nearly fifty straight hours. "Safe? Safe with me, you mean?" he asked cautiously.

After a long pause, Jason replied shakily, "I don't know what I mean. I can't…think…" He put a hand to his injured side. "And I feel awful," he muttered darkly.

"Well, you were stabbed," the Doctor observed. It was all too apparent that the prince was far too weak and confused to balk at anything he told him. In a gentle tone, he said, "Get some sleep and let the computer do its job. We'll talk when you're stronger."

"Yes…" Jason agreed faintly. They definitely needed to talk when he was stronger and his head was clearer. He was asleep almost immediately.

The Doctor watched the peacefully sleeping figure for several minutes. He looked so vulnerable and defenseless, and yet, once he got his strength back… "Computer, is it possible to keep your patient uncon­scious while his system is being repaired?" he asked suddenly.

"**Affirmative."**

"Good. Do it."

"**Unable to comply."**

The Doctor cursed under his breath. "Why?"

"**There is no medical benefit to such an order."**

The Doctor repeated the curse. "Your patient was conscious a moment ago, correct?"

"**Affirmative."**

"And did this strengthen or weaken him?"

The computer analyzed the data a moment. "**The patient's condition weakened during conscious activity."**

The Time Lord gave a satisfied snort. "Given this data, isn't it logical to conclude that the patient will recover more quickly if he is kept unconscious while repairs are underway?"

"**Affirmative. Program amended."**

The Doctor smiled smugly, pleased to have finally gotten one better on the computer. "How much time will it take for all repairs to be completed?"

"**total time for repairs forty-six hours, seventeen minutes."**

"Two more days," the Doctor said in surprise. "He really is in a bad way."

He returned to the flight deck, seeing the results of his search of Jason's log still await­ing his attention. "I'm not going to need you any longer," he muttered, dropping into a chair and deleting the search. He sat thoughtfully a moment. "Computer, when was Jason's last personal log entry recorded?" he asked.

"**Last log entry, local date 20.65.5,"** came the unhelpful reply.

"How long was that before my arrival?"

"**Thirty-seven hours, six minutes."**

The Doctor was taken aback by this. Jason was usually meticulous in his record keeping. _What could have kept him away?_ he wondered. "What was your last order prior to my arrival?" he then asked.

"**Record all message transmissions between locations designated Tri Global and Sanctuary,"** the computer replied startlingly.

_One surprise after another_, the Doctor thought. "Have there been any messages?"

"**Affirmative."**

"How many?"

"**Seven."**

"Play them back in chronological order."

"**Accessing."**

The main screen flashed up a split-screen image. On the one side were the top two members of the Triad, on the other, the robed figure of the Benefactor.

"**Transmission one,"** the computer announced.

o

"_What's the Doctor's progress?" ONE asked._

"_He's recovering faster than expected. And he's asking a lot of questions," the Benefactor said worriedly "I'm sure he knows more than he's telling. I should've killed him the minute he arrived."_

"_When will he be well enough to leave?" ONE asked._

"_Leave?" The Benefactor sat back in his chair and started fiddling with a small remote con­trol. "No one leaves the Sanctuary and lives to tell about it."_

"_We'd like you to make an exception in the case of this…friend of THREE's," ONE said coldly. He exchanged a knowing look with TWO, who started to laugh._

"_As you wish. Out."_

o

"**Transmission two," **said the computer.

o

"_The Doctor left the Sanctuary and should be arriving in the city within the next few hours," the Benefactor informed._

"_Excellent," Leader ONE replied. "THREE is due back at our headquarters tonight."_

"_Are you going to confront him?"_

"_We're going to kill him!" TWO announced happily. "Lying, conniving, alien trash!"_

"_Indeed. You'll be amused to learn the Doctor plans to destroy the Triad upon his return," the Benefactor said blandly._

_TWO laughed raucously at this._

"_Our spies tell us another raid on our headquarters is being planned," ONE informed. "If we can get him to delay this until the Doctor arrives…"_

"_We can kill two birds with one stone," TWO snickered. "Out"_

o

"**Transmission three. Text only,"** said the computer.

o

The message was addressed to Leader ONE.

_Emergency situation has arisen.  
__Urgent I speak with you and you alone.  
_–_Benefactor_

o

"**Transmission four,"** said the computer.

o

Having apparently received the previous message, only Leader ONE appeared on the Triad side of the screen.

"_What's so important that only I must hear?" ONE asked in a bored tone._

"_Leader TWO is planning to take over the primary position in the Triad," the Benefactor said in a worried voice._

_ONE was stunned, having rightly assumed that TWO lacked the brainpower to plan such a thing. "How do you know this?" he demanded._

"_You're not the only one with spies," came the evasive reply._

_A scowl came to the Leader's face. "Did your spy tell you when this will happen?"_

_The robed man nodded. "When he eliminates your adviser. Two birds with one stone, remember?"_

_ONE remained thoughtful a moment. "You'll be rewarded for your loyalty, alien. Out."_

o

"**Transmission five. Text only"** said the computer.

o

As with the first, an urgent message from the Benefactor appeared, only this one was ad­dressed to Leader TWO.

_Emergency situation for your attention only.  
__Urgent that I speak with you alone.  
_–_Benefactor_

o

"**Transmission six,"** said the computer.

o

This time it was Leader TWO who appeared alone on the Triad side.

"_What do you want, alien?" TWO asked without preamble._

"_Your life is in danger," the Benefactor replied. "Leader ONE is planning to replace you in the secondary position."_

"_Ha! He hasn't the guts!" TWO snorted derisively._

"_Don't be too sure. He's already picked the time and place."_

_TWO suddenly looked worried. "When?"_

"_When you eliminate your adviser. He believes you'll be too distracted then."_

_A growl rose in the Leader's throat. "I'll shoot them both," he hissed, holding up his laser pistol._

_The Benefactor cleared his throat. "You've already tried that once," he reminded. "Your adviser carries a device that repels laser weapons."_

"_Yes. That's true," TWO pouted._

"_But I doubt it'll be as effective against hand weapons."_

_TWO looked dumbly at the screen before he understood what the Benefactor meant. Then he started to laugh. "Yes!" he snickered, motioning with his hand. "I'll stick him like the pig that he is!"_

"_I knew you'd be pleased," the Benefactor purred. "Out."_

o

"**Transmission seven,"** the computer said.

o

Now only the Benefactor appeared on screen, the Triad side apparently off. The robed man was entering information into a computer terminal. Then a high-pitched squeal came through the sound system and the Triad side turned on, showing the room empty. There was a computer terminal on screen that seemed to turn on by itself and started running a program on its own. The Doctor realized that the Benefactor was controlling it remotely. After several minutes, the computer shut down and the transmission ended.

o

"**End entries," **the computer announced.

"Well, now we know how the memory was wiped," the Doctor observed thoughtfully, sitting back in his seat. "Computer, do you know the location of the Sanctuary?"

"**Affirmative."**

The Doctor was beginning to wonder what the computer didn't know. "Do you have the transmat coordinates?"

"**Please specify location."**

"Clarify."

"**There are two transmat stations located at destination Sanctuary,"** the computer informed startlingly. At the same time, a map of the freighter now known as the Sanctuary appeared on the main screen.

The Time Lord gave a low whistle. The ship was enormous. Two red dots blinked on different levels indicating the transmat locations. "Which is the least used?" he asked. The dot on the upper level went out. "Yes, I thought it might be that one." He leaned closer to the screen, studying the map. The dot was flashing in what looked like the ship's hold.

He got to his feet, going back into the sickbay to make one last check on Jason before crossing to the transmat station and ordering the computer to transport him to the Sanctuary.

oOo

The Doctor materialized on a large platform in an enormous room in the freighter's hold area. He had assumed it would be empty, since the ship had been stranded for many years. To his surprise, there were crates and boxes stacked on hover-pads near the transmat platform. He was about to investigate them when he heard voices further within the room. His curiosity now fully aroused, he moved closer to investigate these sounds instead.

A group of men were moving what was left of a stack of boxes onto a hover-pad. The device sank slightly with each addi­tion, buzzing loudly in protest as its systems adjusted to compensate before rising off the ground again. The Doctor watched this operation in bewilderment.

A deep voice suddenly called out, "You there! How'd you get down here?"

The Doctor spun around, seeing two men pointing at him. He did not wait for introductions. He turned on his heel and ran, angry shouts rising in volume behind him. He found one of the exits and dashed into the corridor beyond, looking up and down the passageway trying desperately to remember the map. "Which way? Which way?" Giving up, he chose at random, zigzagging his way through the ship, having no idea where he was going.

After several minutes of this, the Doctor found a ladder attached to a bulkhead, leading upwards and downwards. He chose to climb up to the next level. With luck, he would be able to throw off his pursuers.

The next level seemed to be storage bays as well. He moved as quietly as possible, hugging the wall and keeping a watchful eye out for the angry men chasing him. As he was moving along the wall, the Doctor's hand touched a door and it swung open. He jumped back, waiting to see if anyone emerged. When this did not happen, he peeked in and then stepped through the door.

"What on earth are you playing at?" he muttered as he took in his surroundings. He had entered what looked like a large control room. All of the systems in the Sanctuary's upper levels were off line or barely usable. Yet this room appeared fully operational. He crossed to one of the computer monitors, scowled down at the controls.

The door suddenly creaked behind him and the Doctor spun around to see the Benefactor standing in the doorway. Behind him were several heavily armed and angry looking men. "Doctor, I thought you'd be long gone by now," the robed man said in a slightly surprised tone.

"I had a few questions I wanted answering," the Time Lord replied coldly. "Such as, what is all this?"

"This is my little home from home," the Benefactor purred, holding out his arms to take in the room. He stepped further inside allowing the men behind him to enter.

"You're content to stay amongst your simple neighbors, are you?" the Time Lord reproved sharply.

"I never said I was out of touch with the rest of the universe. Only that I'd re­moved myself from it," the Benefactor pointed out.

"How long have you been working for the Triad?" the Doctor demanded.

The Benefactor seemed surprised by this question. "Someone's been telling tales out of school," he observed, wagging a finger in the air. "And I wasn't working for the Triad. They were working for me. They just didn't know it."

The Doctor frowned. "What did _you_ get out of it?"

"Information," the Benefactor replied. "You'd be surprised how much value some races place on simple information." He waved a hand in the air. "Far less stressful than hauling freight to all corners of creation."

The Doctor's mouth dropped open. "You're an information broker?" he gasped. _"Here?"_

"Why not?"

The Time Lord was stuck for an answer on that point. "And the Triad? What information could you possibly you get from them?"

The Benefactor chortled at this question. "Doctor, I didn't get information from them. The information _was _them, and it only cost me the price of a few transponder chips," he said startlingly. "The Glyateven home world was very generous when I gave them their exact location. Rather embarrassing, losing a shipload of prisoners like that."

The Doctor frowned. "If you know all that, you also know that the Glyateven removed their prisoners some time ago."

The Benefactor had sauntered over to his workstation. "Indeed. But, alas, the fighting rages on without them."

"I see. Well, you don't need me cluttering up the place any longer, then," the Doctor said quickly and started for the door. He stopped short when the men blocking his way raised their weapons.

"He saw us," the lead man hissed worriedly. "And the cargo."

The Benefactor waved him to silence. "Don't worry, Justin. The Doctor's not leaving just yet. We haven't had time to chat. A nice little information exchange."

The Doctor continued to frown at him. "What kind of information?"

"I'm sure we can think of something. Strange how you overlooked mentioning you're a Time Lord during your stay. You must know all kinds of interesting things."

The Doctor straightened, his only reply being to glare at the robed figure. He wondered how the Benefactor had learned this, but was not about to ask.

The Benefactor picked up what looked like a television remote control and started turning it over in his hands. "Not so chatty now, Doctor?" he taunted.

"Before you even ask, the answer is no. Aside from the fact that it's forbidden, I won't reveal future events just so you can profit from them," the Time Lord stated categorically.

"And here I thought we could be friends," the Benefactor said sulkily.

"Do you always threaten your friends at gunpoint?" the Doctor asked astringently.

The Benefactor chuckled at this. "You know, the late Ambassador was always such a generous partner. I hoped you might be also."

The Doctor was thunderstruck by this revelation, his mouth dropping open in shock. The Benefactor chuckled again at his reaction. "Oh dear, did I omit telling you that I knew him too?" he asked tauntingly.

"Yes, you did. Were you working together on this little plot to take over the world? Or were you just selling off the information he could glean for you?"

The robed man waved a hand in the air. "A little of both, actually. Not that it matters now," he said dismissively. "I'm in need of a new partner."

"And you want it to be me, do you?" the Doctor replied. "Did you conspire to have him killed because he'd outlived his usefulness for you?"

"You ask a lot of questions, Doctor," the Benefactor observed.

"It's the only way to learn anything."

"I quite agree." The Benefactor casually pushed a button on the remote control in his hands. The same instant the Doctor felt a sharp pain and gave a small cry of alarm, a hand going to his chest.

"Are you ill, Doctor?" the Benefactor asked mildly.

Puzzled, the Doctor shook his head. "No. Just a twinge from an old injury."

"Oh yes. You had a serious injury when you arrived. Your heart, wasn't it? Are you sure it's completely healed?"

Another button was pressed and the Doctor cried out again, clutching his chest.

"Did I also mention that I trade in electronic devices? Useful little gadgets at keeping one's minions under control."

"So I'm to go from a partner to one of your minions, am I?" the Doctor gasped out painfully. "So much for friendship."

When the next button was pressed, the pain was excruciating, sending the Doctor to his knees. The Benefactor's voice hardened. "No one leaves the Sanctuary and lives to tell about it, Doctor. I've made certain of that!"

Before the Doctor could contemplate the implications of what had just happened, the Benefactor ordered, "Secure him in the interrogation room."

The incapacitated Time Lord was pulled from the floor and out the door. Before the last man followed, his superior ordered, "Once the Doctor's secured, get the last of the cargo transferred."

"Don't worry, sir. We'll make the deadline," the man said as he left the room. He hurried after the others, who were making their way down a series of corridors before reaching the interrogation room. As the last man to arrive, he stayed outside as the others dragged their prisoner through the door.

The first thing the Doctor noticed upon entering was a wall of heavy metal plate with thick leather restraints bolted to it. The far wall had a slab of metal attached to it that was probably supposed to serve as a bench. In the corner opposite the restraining wall was a computer console next to which was a large trunk, the contents of which he felt sure he would learn all too soon. It was all too apparent that not all the information the Benefactor was selling had been obtained from willing sources.

In the hall, the sentry smiled evilly as the Time Lord's shouts of protest came through the closed door. It was obvious he was being less than cooperative. The man was so intent on listening to the commotion within the room that he failed to notice the cloaked figure approaching and jump when he suddenly loomed over him.

"Benefactor!" he gasped. "Sir, I didn't expect you this soon. I thought you'd be seeing to—"

The Benefactor cut him off with a wave of the hand, a clear indication that the man shut up and open the door, which he hurriedly did. The scene inside was one of bedlam. The group had stripped their prisoner of his clothes and were attempting to force him against the wall and into the restraints. The Doctor was indeed being less than cooperative.

The sentry cleared his throat loudly, gaining everyone's attention. One man took advantage of the distraction and punched the Doctor hard in the stomach, sending him to his hands and knees.

"The prisoner will be secured in a moment, sir," the man called Justin informed breathlessly. He gave the downed Time Lord a savage kick in the ribs, sending him back against the wall. "Once we beat a little sense in to him," he added angrily.

"That won't be necessary," the Benefactor replied calmly.

The men exchanged a confused look. "Sir, he isn't secured yet."

"I can see that." The Benefactor took in the gasping form on the floor. "He isn't likely to pull a weapon, now, is he?"

"No, sir." Justin cleared his throat. "But…I think …"

"He doesn't want any witnesses, you idiot!" the Doctor snapped impatiently.

Justin gave the Time Lord a stunned look, turning back to the Benefactor, who waved a hand in dismissal. He gave a shrug and left, herding the others with him.

"Now what?" the Doctor asked as the robed man locked the door and crossed to the computer terminal on the far side of the room. "You've already got the humiliation phase out of the way. What next? Threats? Torture? A combination of both?" He slowly got to his feet. "You're obviously planning on killing me. So why don't you just drop all this Benefactor nonsense and tell me who you really are. I don't think it'll read too well on my death certificate at any rate. Cause of death—the Benefactor." His voice rose in pitch as he demanded, "Just who are you?"

The man across the room shook his head as he removed his all-concealing cloak. "Unbelievable. Here you are, stripped of your…dignity, and you _still_ manage to stay in control of things." He tossed the garment onto the chair and turned, his voice changing the same instant. "As for who I am, you already know that."

The Doctor's eyes grew wide and his mouth dropped open. "Jason…" he breathed, not quite able to take it in. "I left you in the sickbay."

"With orders that I remain unconscious until repairs to my system were completed," the Alterran replied in a slightly angry tone. "I know. You thought you had another two days. Thing is, you have to ask my computer questions in just the right way."

"The time frame was _inclusive_." The Doctor cursed under his breath. "I should've realized!"

"I completely reprogrammed all the _ARGO's _systems. The computer will defend me at all costs." Jason's voice hardened as he added, "Even from you."

This only seemed to verify the Doctor's fears that his longtime friend was now his enemy and he looked him up and down. "Which part are you playing now?" he asked coldly. "Leader THREE? No, he's dead. Ambassador Krystovan? No, he's dead, too. The Benefactor, perhaps?"

"Well, at least he's not dead," Jason observed lightly. He paused, throwing a quick glance over to the door.

"You never told them you weren't human, did you?"

"I never do. You're the only one who knows different," the Alterran replied as he came to stand before the Doctor.

"I know different about a lot of things," the Time Lord said coolly. His hand suddenly flashed out and stabbed into Jason's throat just above the collarbone, paralyzing him where he stood. "Such as, when you're in human form, you're just as frail and vulnerable as they are."

The Alterran gasped, a shocked look passing over his face. The Time Lord's touch triggered a scan, and he instantly knew of the presence of one of the deadly pacemakers within his friend's body. Jason's eyes flashed to the bindings on the wall and back to the Doctor's face. Although unable to move, found he could still speak and gave a wry smile. "Did you come across that in my computer, too, Doctor?" he asked mildly. He could not help wondering what the purpose of this little power play was.

"Never mind that. How do I get out of here without being seen?" the Doctor demanded.

"That's going to be difficult considering you're stark naked," Jason observed blandly.

"You let me worry about that."

"I think you should be more worried about getting past the man outside the door."

The Doctor frowned. "You sent them all away."

"I heard him just now, but if you say they've gone…"

"I'm in no mood for this, Jason," the Doctor growled impatiently. "I want a straight answer from you."

The Alterran was getting annoyed by this bizarre power play and decided to retaliate with one of his own. "Alright. Incase you've forgotten, those of us in the First Circle can counteract the frailty of a human form," he stated matter of factly. His hand suddenly flashed up and took the astonished Time Lord by the throat. He slammed him back against the wall with such force that he knocked the breath out of him. "Oh yeah, and I'm _not _the Benefactor. How's _that_ for a straight answer?"

In a blink, Jason was in his true form. His main body was large and bulbous in shape with sapphire blue crystals evenly spaced around the circumference. His tendril appendages seemed too numerous to count. They snaked down to the floor, barely touching the surface as he hovered in the air. Suddenly the Doctor's body was completely entwined, a single thick tendril wrapped around his neck.

Too stunned to fight back, the Doctor could only struggle to get his breath back as his legs were thrust against the wall, thick restraints pulled tight around his ankles and thighs. At the same time, his arms were forced up into straps, securing his wrists and forearms into place. By the time he recovered enough to realize what was happening, two thick straps were being crisscrossed over his shoulders and upper chest, another across his hips, making it impossible for him to move. Nevertheless, the Doctor struggled briefly in his bindings. He did not attempt to speak, however, as the coil was still wrapped threateningly around his throat. He suddenly realized the pounding he was hearing was not the blood in his ears but someone on the opposite side of the door.

"That nonexistent man seems to want in very badly," Jason observed mildly, satisfied that he had made sufficient noise to arouse the person on the opposite side of the door. He was completely unaware of the incredible amount of misinformation the Benefactor had given the Doctor. Nor did he realize how his actions only substantiated rather than dispelled the illusion that he was now the Time Lord's deadly enemy.

The Alterran returned to his guise as the Benefactor and crossed to the door. He opened it to find Justin about to fire his weapon at the lock. "Is there a problem?"

Justin went pale. "Sir!" he gasped. "I heard…um, sounds."

"Sounds?"

"Yes, sir. I thought you needed help."

"Indeed?" the man beneath the hood purred. He took a step back, allowing the man to see into the room. Justin's mouth dropped open when he saw the helpless prisoner spread-eagled against the wall and securely strapped into place. He could not quite believe that the man before him had managed to do single-handedly what he and four others could not.

"As you can see, I'm in no need of assistance. But perhaps a weapon would be prudent." The fake Benefactor held out a hand and Justin surrendered his weapon. Then he fled when his superior snarled, "Now go before I do the same to you!"

Jason returned to his normal human appearance and locked the door. He looked at the gun in his hand and gave a disgusted snort. "This thing's an antique. It's like everything else around here. Out of order." He tossed the weapon onto the Doctor's clothes that were in a discarded heap on the floor and then crossed to the computer, rummaging in the folds of his original disguise. He took out a heavy looking, lead-lined pillbox and swallowed one of the pills, the purpose of which was to give himself a single, enormous burst of energy known as a conversion rush. In order to remove the pacemaker he now knew was in his friend's body, he was going to have to physically reach in and grab it, which required a great deal of energy to accomplish. He was not looking forward to the operation. It would be painful for the both of them and was the real reason the Time Lord needed to be restrained.

All the Doctor could see was that Jason had swallowed something. "If you're not he Benefactor, what're you doing here?" he demanded finally.

The Alterran was idly twisting a piece of cloth through his fingers as he turned back to face him. "I should think that was obvious," he replied in a slightly annoyed tone.

"You followed me."

"Yes."

"How? And don't say in the transmat. How did you know exactly where I was?"

Jason gave a small smile. "That would be telling."

The Doctor pulled against his bindings in frustration, a growl rising in his throat. "More deception? Just how much of this is real? Where does deception end and reality begin?"

"Are you saying deception isn't reality?" the Alterran said as he slowly crossed the room. "Maybe some things are more real than others."

"That's not what I meant and you know it!"

"Do you really want me to spell it out?" Jason said in a slightly surprised tone. "Okay, my hatred isn't real. My anger, feelings of betrayal, mistrust, and rage that I feel every time I look at you…they aren't real either. None of this is real. It's _all_ an illusion and I don't really want to kill you." He paused, asking sharply, "Does _that_ clarify everything?"

The Doctor felt a chill run down his spine. Jason loved sarcasm and had an incredible sense for the ironic. With all that had happened since his arrival on the planet, he was certain that this was the meaning behind the reply. It was only then that he noticed the prince was looking at the still healing bullet wound on his chest. The bandages were gone, but the wound was clearly visible. He felt both his hearts jump as it suddenly occurred to him that he had let his outrage blind him to the fact that he was completely helpless and locked in a room with a man—no, an incredibly powerful being—who had already tried to kill him once and seemed inclined to try a second time.

As Jason crossed the room, he seemed to start, throwing a quick look at the door. Out in the hall, another man arrived and tried the doorknob, alerting him to his presence. Although annoyed, the Alterran decided he would deal with him later and stepped directly in front of his apparently helpless prisoner, placing his left hand flat on his chest directly over the bullet wound in order to find the exact location of the pacemaker.

"Are you going to kill me, Jason?" the Doctor asked in as even a tone as he could manage.

Jason looked up sharply, completely shocked by this question. Then his scan registered more than the location of the pacemaker, which only added to his shock. The Doctor wasn't angry—he was afraid! His breathing was elevated, his hearts were racing each other, and his adrenaline level was through the roof.

By this time, his eyes were glowing so fiercely that the Doctor stiffened involuntarily at the sight of them. Jason felt his friend's body tense beneath his hand and wondered how he could have possibly misunderstood what he had just told him. The flood of energy was surging through his own system at this point, his eyes changing from human to the crystalline sensors of his true form. He had run out of time. If he did not utilize the energy immediately, his system would burn itself out and he'd be of no use to either of them. He leaned forward slightly. "Tell me, Doctor. Do you trust me?" he asked softly.

The Doctor had asked this very question a hundred times before as a reassurance. Now it seemed more like a taunt and he found it chilling. "What?" he asked in a horrified whisper.

Jason shifted his intense gaze to the Time Lord's rib cage. He could see bruises starting to form from the beating his friend had just received, the largest where Justin had kicked him in the ribs. That one would complicate things a bit. He drew a deep breath to steady himself and looked up, holding up the cloth he had been playing with. It was now in a neatly folded rectangle. "Bite," he ordered.

"Why?"

"Because this isn't going to be pleasant."

"Why am I not surprised?" the Doctor replied darkly. He felt an energy discharge from the hand Jason held to his chest and caught his breath, which allowed the Alterran to force the cloth between his teeth. Then pain caused him to clamp down on it. He saw Jason's eyes blaze even brighter before going dull, and knew he was scanning him. He looked down and was appalled to see the Alterran's right arm had changed into a tendril and was actually penetrating his body just below his rib cage. It was shimmering as when he transmuted, his own torso shimmering as if in response. It felt like thousands of ants crawling under his skin. He wanted to scream out the words _"What are you doing?" _but instead bit down on the cloth in his mouth, the words becoming the unmistakable sound of pain rising in his throat.

Despite his friend's obvious distress, Jason knew the process would be far more excruciating if he moved too quickly, and deadly if he lost control of the molecular field.

In the hall, the man jumped away from the door at the sound of the Doctor's torment. After a few seconds of this, he finally lost his nerve and ran as fast as he could down the corridor.

Having completely misinterpreted his friend's intentions, the Doctor strained against his bindings. He wanted to thrash, kick, scratch, claw, _anything_ to fight back, but he could not move. It seemed he could do nothing but bite down on the gag in his mouth, endure the horrific, torturous procedure being performed on him and wait for the end of his life. Then he remembered that the Alterran Healer was one of the few individuals with the skill to prevent him regenerating. _Would this truly be the end of his life? _

He could feel the tendril entering his rib cage, pushing slowly and deliberately upward, the pressure within his chest becoming so great that he started having difficulty breathing. Then he could not draw a breath at all, his lungs seemingly paralyzed. His respiratory by-pass system would not respond either and he was certain he was about to suffocate. Suddenly the tendril stopped, the pressure and pain subsiding. His lungs started working again and, against his better judgment, his body relaxed as he struggled to catch his breath, his gasps coming in small whimpers. Now he was certain the Alterran was toying with him. How easy it would be for him to completely paralyze him and watch him die slowly.

The tendril started moving again and his body reacted instantly, his muscle locking. He clamped down harder on the wad of cloth in his mouth, another scream rising in his throat. _What are you waiting for?_ he wondered helplessly. _Just rip out my hearts and have done with it!_ As if in response to this the tendril stopped, having reached the space between his hearts.

Jason seemed oblivious to the Doctor's torment, his concentration fixed on the scan and keeping the molecular field stable. His scan alerted him that the Time Lord was having difficulty breathing, then he suddenly stopped breathing altogether. The prince paused, discovering the molecular field had paralyzed the Doctor's lungs. He pulled it away, and was relieved to hear the whimpered gasps in response. He closed his eyes, wincing in pain as the same time. Steeling himself to go on, he gritted his teeth and reached in further, feeling the Time Lord's body go rigid and hearing his cry of torment in response.

The Doctor felt as if his whole chest cavity were about to burst. Somewhere in the blur of pain and the blood pounding in his ears, he heard Jason say, "Got it!" Then, mercifully, everything went black as he lost consciousness.

Jason felt his friend's body go limp. He slowly extracted his arm and it returned to its human appearance. He shook it and then hugged it against his body, wincing in pain as he did so. _That was an incredibly unpleasant experience,_ he thought darkly. After a moment, he looked at the small bloody object in his palm, a satisfied smile coming to his face. He then turned to the unconscious figure beside him and smiled affectionately. Lifting the Doctor's head, he pulled the cloth from between his teeth, seeing he had actually bitten through several layers of the fabric. Jason gently brushed the sweat soaked hair from his face. "Forgive me, old friend," he said softly. A moment later, he was back in his true form. He removed the Time Lord's restraints, gently entwining his body to keep him from dropping to the floor. He carried the limp form across the room and carefully placed him on the slab protruding from the wall.

Jason went to retrieve the cloak he had left at the computer, returning to his human form at the same time. He pulled out the medical bag from which he had taken the pillbox and turned back, idly glancing up from his bag as he started across the room. He did a double take when he saw the Doctor's body glowing slightly. "Oh no, you don't," he hissed between his teeth, taking a vial from the bag as he practically flew across the room. He held the glass against the Time Lord's neck, allowing the medication to be absorbed directly into his system. The glow faded immediately.

Jason suddenly realized he was holding his breath. He slid to the floor beside the slab and exhaled, leaning his head against the Doctor's body, a sigh of relief escaping him. A shudder shook his body and he looked up as if suddenly coming awake. This was the last gasp of the conversion rush as it dissipated. He stood up, covering the Doctor's naked form with the cloak. He then pulled a chair beside the slab and sat down, taking his friend's hand. He watched the exceptionally pale figure closely, scanning him continuously.

"Come on, come on, you stubborn Gallifreyan, stabilize!" Jason encouraged quietly. After a few minutes, he gave a satisfied grunt and placed the Doctor's arm back under the covering. Thus assured there would not be a repeat performance, he turned his attention to the pacemaker he had just extracted. He cleaned the blood from its surface and then pulled out a jeweler's glass to inspect its inner workings more closely. When he did, he caught his breath. "You've been activated!" he gasped, looking at the unconscious Time Lord in shock. "No wonder you almost regenerated."

oOo

It could have been seconds, minutes or hours later, the Doctor had no way of telling as he slowly returned to reality and opened his eyes. He was lying on the slab against the wall with the cloak from Jason's disguise covering him. There was a dark shape beside him and he struggled to focus without success. _Had he regenerated? That might explain…_

"Doctor?"

_A voice. He knew that voice. Male. Possibly human. No, not human. Not even remotely hu­man. _The Doctor scowled. _Now what was that supposed to mean?_

"Doctor?" the voice said again. "Can you hear me?"

_Yes, that was definitely a familiar voice. Someone was touching his shoulder. But was he friend or foe? _The Doctor closed his unfocused eyes and struggled to concentrate. Something in the back of his mind told him to be on his guard and he concluded that the correct answer was foe. He gave a low groan as he opened his eyes again. "Where am I?" he asked weakly.

"You're still in the Sanctuary," Jason replied calmly. "How do you feel?"

"Like I've been turned inside out. Did I regenerate?"

"No. Close, but no."

"It feels like I have." The Doctor struggled to concentrate. "I can't seem to move."

"I know. That's my doing."

The Doctor blinked to clear his vision, scowling at the owner of the voice. "Jason? I don't…" he said in bewilderment. The events of the past half hour suddenly exploded in his mind. "Your doing?" he said more firmly, an accusing edge finding its way into his voice.

"You were trying to regenerate prematurely," the Alterran informed calmly. "The paralysis is a temporary side effect of the medication that prevented it happening." He received a skeptical look in reply and sighed heavily. "I'm telling the truth."

"Why start now?"

Jason gave him an annoyed look and chose to ignore the barbed comment. "Just try moving your fingers." He knew his friend would be angry with him but this was getting ridiculous.

The Doctor found he could move his fingers, and then his hands. Then his mind cleared enough for him to realize he was no longer strapped to the wall. "Have we moved on to a new game?" he asked bitterly.

"Game?"

"Yes, game. You're playing at something," the Doctor said as he struggled to a sitting position. "I just don't know what yet." He leaned back against the wall, scrutinizing the Alterran.

"Payback's a bitch, ain't it, Doctor?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means you don't like it when you're not the one who knows everything that's going on," the prince replied knowingly. He held up a small silver object. "Know what this is?"

The Doctor replied immediately. "It's a pacemaker."

"Not quite. It's more like an anti-pacemaker. A remote control heart attack." Jason handed the object to the Doctor, who turned it over in his hands. "And I have a horrible feeling it may be compliments of the Benefactor."

The Doctor suddenly remembered the incident with the Benefactor and a hand went to his chest. "No one leaves the Sanctuary and lives to tell about it," he said in a horrified whisper.

"Yes," Jason replied. "Those things are getting implanted in everyone who leaves. Then with the touch of a button, they're another casualty of war."

"How do you know all that?" the Doctor asked suspiciously.

"Because they've been turning up in the bodies of apparent heart attack victims—every one of whom was supposed to've died by dispersal. But instead of being dispersed, they turned up at the Sanctuary. Then when they left…"

The Doctor gave him an appalled look. "Jason, _I_ turned up at the Sanctuary!"

"Yes, I know. I'm the one who sent you, remember?"

"Don't remind me."

The Alterran gave him a sideways glance. In his mind, the Doctor's remark simply verified that the Benefactor had at least told his friend that he'd been sent to the Sanctuary intentionally. It did not occur to him that the Doctor believed he'd been one among the hundreds to arrive on a daily basis. Jason's mind was still fuzzy because of his lengthy stay in stasis, and he had hoped the Doctor would be able to clarify some things. Unfortunately, he arrived at the Sanctuary at the same moment the Time Lord was taken prisoner by the Benefactor, which only served to confuse the Alterran further. He had thought there was a spy at work, now it seemed that even the Benefactor was working to his own agenda.

"I can only assume the trans­mat implants the things." Jason said, holding up another silver device. "This one's mine. That one's yours."

"What? Did you just…?" The Doctor stared in a combination of amazement and anger. "You might've warned me!"

"Oh, yeah. That explanation would've gone over like gang busters!" Jason replied defensively. "You're the one who thought I was about to kill you."

"Your actions were hardly conducive with benevolence."

"Look who's talking," Jason shot back, rubbing his bruised collarbone. His voice became light, dripping with sarcasm at the same time. "Okay, Doctor, here's the deal. I know you think I'm about to kill you, but that's not the worst of it. I've just discovered a small bomb in your chest. I'm going to have to strap you down so I can reach in and pull it out before it goes off and kills you. Oh yeah, and it's gonna hurt like hell when I do it. What d'ya say?" He paused, adding, "You'd've jumped at the chance, wouldn't you?"

The Doctor gave him a dark look, rubbing his chest. "The least you could've done was use an anesthetic."

"It wouldn't've helped. Not with the molecular bond pulled apart like that," Jason replied matter of factly. "Just be glad I'm in the First Circle. Otherwise I'd've had to cut you open to get that out."

The Doctor looked at the deadly device in his hands and then Jason's remark struck him. "Hang on, did you say you'd _just_ discovered this?"

"Yes, I did," Jason replied firmly. "It wasn't there when you touched me at Tri Global. But when you did you're little paralysis trick…"

"You scanned me even then?"

"You're joking, right? With that time aura, it's automatic. Anyway, it helped me find mine." The Alterran picked up a glass from the floor beside him and held it out. Something else that he knew was that the process of pulling the molecular bond apart would cause his friend to become dehydrated. "Here, drink this."

The Doctor gave him a skeptical look. "Now who's joking?"

"It's just water!" Jason cried in exasperation. He took a sip and offered the glass again. "There. Do you think I'm trying to poison you now?"

"I haven't the slightest idea what to think," the Time Lord replied truthfully as he took the glass. "One minute you're a raving lunatic, and the next you're in Healer mode. You've explained nothing. You've tried to kill me at least once. And now I'm to take everything on faith. Well, I'm sorry, Jason, but I can't do that. Not any more."

Jason sat silently a moment as he considered this. Somehow, he and the Doctor had gotten their wires crossed, but there was no time to figure out exactly where. He would have to wait until his mind cleared properly to get the details. "Fine, whatever," he said, waving a hand in the air. He turned and plucked the Doctor's coat from the pile on the floor and searched through the pockets, pulling out a small blue disk. "There it is," he whispered triumphantly and held the object up.

"It's your recall disk," the Doctor admitted somewhat guiltily. "I picked it up before I—" He caught his breath. "_That's_ how you found me!"

"You got it in one."

"And the rest of it?" the Doctor practically demanded.

Jason scowled. "Rest of it?"

"Why did you follow me in the first place? Surely it wasn't for philanthropic reasons."

The Alterran sat back and studied him a moment. "You didn't sign off the computer when you left. It wasn't too great a leap to figure out where you'd gone."

"Of course," the Doctor moaned, suddenly feeling incredibly stupid. "I left the map of the Sanc­tuary on the screen."

"Yes. I don't know about you, but I've a few questions for the Benefactor. And not just about these," Jason said darkly, holding up the pacemaker. He crept to the door and listened. "Good. He's finally gone." He looked at the Doctor and grinned. "I think you scared him off."

"I'm not sure how to respond to that."

Jason scooped up the Time Lord's clothes and tossing them to him. "Here, get dressed. If I know you, you'll come up with something later."

oOo

As the Doctor got dressed, Jason threw his cloak back on. While he was doing this, his eyes fell on the computer terminal and he stopped, cocking his head to one side as he studied at it.

"Well, for the first time since I got here, I actually know what you're thinking," the Doctor remarked from behind him.

Jason turned and then stepped aside, holding out a hand. "Would you like the honors?" he asked politely.

The Doctor scowled and then smiled, holding out his own hand. "No, no," he replied, equally politely. "By all means. You're the expert."

"Doctor, we _are _after the same thing," Jason said as he dropped into the chair. He pushed several buttons without success. "No power."

The Doctor searched the surrounding area and found several switched on the wall. He began throwing them one after the other until the computer came to life. "Power," he said triumphantly, looking back at the screen.

Jason was already tapping away on the keyboard. "Let's just pray this piece of junk doesn't crash before I can bring up…bring up…" He voice trailed off and he scowled at the screen. "Come on, come on. Tell me your secrets you archaic piece of scrap iron," he said quietly.

The Doctor watched the monitor as file after file flashed up.

"What the hell?" Jason stopped his flurry of activity and sat back. "What does he think he's doing?" Now he was really confused. Why was everything suddenly going out of control?

The Doctor didn't like the sound of this at all. "What is it?"

"It looks like he's trying to bring all the ship's systems back on-line. Look at this!" Jason pointed at the screen. "Those're the diagnostic programs that've run in the last day alone."

"_Trying_ is one thing, Jason. The question is, is he capable of pulling it off?"

"Until now, I'd've said no. Now I'm not so sure."

"He's trading more than just information and gadgets," the Doctor muttered thoughtfully.

"What?"

"Nothing," the Doctor said quickly. "Any way of telling how close the systems are to being fully online?"

The Alterran's fingers clattered on the keyboard. The monitor screen flashed up file after file and then suddenly started to buzz. "Uh-oh," he said under his breath, jumping to his feet and backing up as the panel beside him started to throw out sparks. There were several pops from within the panel followed by a loud hissing, a sharp bang, and finally smoke.

Jason gave the Doctor an apologetic look. "Um, I think the answer to your question would be, no," he said in a small voice.

The Doctor gave him a disapproving look. "Then we'll just have to look, won't we?" he said sharply. "It can't be that far." He didn't wait for a reply and headed for the door, which he slowly pulled open. To his relief, the corridor beyond was empty. "You didn't happen to look at the map of this place before you followed me, did you?" he asked as he stepped out into the passageway.

"Yes, I looked at the map," Jason replied in an annoyed tone. "The main control systems are above the engine room."

"Good." The Doctor held out a hand. "Then you can lead the way."

oOo


	18. Mission End

**MISSION END**

As Jason described the route they needed to take, the two moved deeper and deeper into the ship. The sound system started to crackle with static and they ignored it until they heard the sound of someone clearing his throat. "Come out, come out, wherever you are…" the Benefactor sing-songed. "I know you're out there, Doctor. Quite the escape artist, aren't we?"

There was a squeal of feedback and a roar of static.

"I've decided to look for greener pastures," the Benefactor went on happily. "If you don't want to be here for liftoff, I suggest you make you're way to the nearest exit." This was followed by a loud pop as he signed off.

"He's nuts. He can't possibly think just because I got a transmat working he can get this relic airborne," Jason snorted, completely unaware of how this remark would be taken.

"What!" the Doctor exclaimed. "_You_ got the transmat working?"

Jason actually flinched. "Yes. Doctor, he was supposed to be working with _me_ to—"

The Doctor cut him off. "With you? Or _for_ you? Just what part did he play in the Triad?"

"The Triad? None."

"Then why did you have your ship intercepting messages?"

While this was a valid question, Jason was unable to follow the logic that caused it. "My ship picked up the transmission traffic," he replied in a bewildered tone. "I thought there might be a spy in the Sanctuary. I didn't even know for certain that the others knew it existed until the day they tried to kill me."

The Doctor put his hands to his ears, in an obvious gesture that he had heard enough. "I can't believe what I'm hearing. It's not my fault! Everybody's against me." He shook his head, anger blazing in his eyes. He pulled out the pacemaker and held it up. "I foolishly thought you might actually have wanted to save me when you pulled this out. You did it for yourself." He threw the device to the ground. "Now that your partner thinks you're dead, you need me to help stop him selling _your_ secrets to the highest bidder. Just how long have you been selling information?" Not waiting for a reply, the Doctor turned on his heel and stormed up the corridor.

"What partner?" Jason wanted to know. He had absolutely no idea what the Doctor was rav­ing about and was getting more confused by the minute. He stood in a stunned silence as the Time Lord strode off and finally had to run to catch up.

The Doctor stopped at an intersection and looked around. "Well, which way the power room?" he asked sharply the instant Jason arrived.

"Power room? I thought you wanted…" the prince's voice trailed off when he received an irritated look. The Doctor was in no mood for arguments and seemed beyond reason at this point. "Okay, the power room." Having never been there, Jason closed his eyes, visualizing the map. He located their present position and that of the power room. His eyes open and he got his bearings, pointing down a corridor. "That way."

The Time Lord strode off, leaving the Alterran to chase after him again.

"I'm almost afraid to ask this," the Doctor said as his reluctant companion caught up with him. "Just what kind of power system does this dinosaur use?"

"I have no idea," Jason replied. "It could be anything from anti-matter to an old style nuclear reactor, for all I know."

"You didn't look when you fixed the transmat?" the Doctor asked sarcastically.

"No, I didn't. It wasn't necessary."

The Doctor did not even break stride as he threw a disbelieving look over his shoulder.

"It wasn't!" Jason protested. "Why won't you believe me?"

The Time Lord abruptly stopped dead and turned, looming over the Alterran so suddenly that he fell over backwards onto the floor. "Because everything you've told me so far has been a lie," he stated categorically.

"Not everything," came the meek reply.

An angry growl rose in the Doctor's throat. He turned and stormed off again. This time Jason let him go, choosing not to run after him, following at a walk. He'd slow down eventually. Maybe then he would be able to tell him they still needed to go down several floors.

oOo

The Doctor arrived at an archway that opened onto a platform above a yawning chasm. This was, in actuality, the ventila­tion shaft above the engine room's main floor. The platform was connected to another on the far side by a catwalk. There were several levels within the enormous empty space, each with a section of catwalk crisscrossing each other throughout. "Somehow I knew there'd be decaying catwalks at the end of this journey," he grumbled

On one of the levels below him, the Benefactor was making his way across. The Doctor stepped onto the walkway and leaned over the railing. "Benefactor!"

The Benefactor looked up and laughed. "Doctor!" he called out happily. Jason arrived at that moment and the disguised Trevor found himself delighted to see him. Somehow he knew the Triad would prove incompetent. Now he would have the pleasure of killing the prince himself. "And the late Ambassador Krystovan!" he said in the same happy voice.

"Benefactor, stop!" the Doctor called. "You don't know what you're doing."

"Really?" the Benefactor called back. "I thought everything worked out perfectly."_ In fact, it seemed to be better than he expected_, he thought delightedly.

"This ship will never take the strain of a powered assent," Jason pointed out. "If you try, it'll crack like an egg. You'll blow yourself and half the countryside to atoms."

"You know, Ambassador, that was the plan from the beginning."

"What?" the baffled Jason gasped. He looked over at the Doctor in bewilderment, seeing a look of thunder on his face. Before he could say anything, a muffled thud shook the room, throwing him off balance and back against the wall.

The Benefactor looked up and waved. "Good bye, Doctor!" he cried happily. "Give my regards to the High Council!" So saying, he charged to the archway beneath them and vanished, cackling the whole time. He continued down the corridor, winding his way through the ship, ignoring the thuds and bangs going on around him. He reached the transmat station, dialed in a code and hit the activation switch. He pulled back his hood and grinned evilly as he faded from the ship. "Good bye, your Majesty," he said bitterly.

oOo

Trevor materialized on a transmat platform in a small spacecraft and moved to the single command chair in the forward compartment. He sat down and pulled a covering from the control panel. He started powering up the craft, which had been hidden on the surface of the Eldeberon's second moon. It was from here that he had sent all of his mission instructions as the false Cardinal Wythe. Now he looked expectantly out at the planet below, awaiting the end of the prince's mission to Eldeberon.

oOo

Jason struggled to regain is footing having to grab the wall to keep his balance. "He's as mad as a hatter," he observed.

The Doctor moved further along the catwalk just as another muffled thud resounded through the room. It was as though some ancient machinery were trying to turn over for the first time in centuries. "I think that may be the pre-ignition sequence starting," he guessed.

"Great. How long does that take?" Jason asked nervously.

"No telling."

Instead of the thuds they had been hearing, an explosion suddenly rocked the room and sent the metal catwalks swaying. The end of the one on which the Doctor stood clanged into the supports of another below. "I wouldn't put it past that lunatic to have booby traps all over the place," he called over the growing noise.

"Oh terrific," Jason moaned. He grabbed the Time Lord's arm to try and pull him back the way they had come. He could hear smaller explosions starting further within the building, each one causing the room to vibrate. "We've got to get out of here!"

"No!" the Doctor snapped, pulling his arm away. "I've got shut it down." He continued as swiftly as he could, calling back over his shoulder. "You were right about one thing. If that power system blows, it'll take out several square miles and contaminate an area several times that. And that's just a conservative estimate."

"Any more comforting thoughts, Doctor? You realize we're standing right over the top of the engine room!"

Jason had to struggle to keep up on the swaying metalwork. The Time Lord was already halfway across and several feet ahead of him. The catwalk suddenly pitched violently, throwing him into the railing to one side. The supports of another section broke away, swinging down and catching him across the head and shoulders, stunning him. The momentum carried him over the railing, yet somehow, miraculously, he managed to maintain his grip.

The Time Lord did not even think twice. He dove at the railing, catching hold of the dazed Alterran's wrists just as his hands slipped free. "Don't kick or you'll have us both over!" he called, pulling with all his strength to get Jason up high enough so he could climb over the railing. They landed together on the metal surface, panting from the effort.

The Doctor looked the prince in the eye. "Help me end this," he said firmly.

Jason gave him a look that was surprised and annoyed. As he got to his feet, he started to ask the Doctor what the hell he thought he was doing when another explosion shook the room. His words were lost in the noise and the catwalk suspended above them started to detach from the ceiling. He jumped back as chunks of metal and dust rained down on them. He looked up at the decaying metalwork of the walkway on which they stood, seeing it twist and distort under their weight. "This thing's gonna fall any second and take us both with it."

"Then run!" the Doctor cried, giving him a shove. The catwalk continued to sway beneath their feet, shuddering dangerously as another section pulled free from the ceiling. Jason made it to the platform first, running full pelt. He had to use the wall to stop himself and leaned against its reassuringly solid surface as he tried to catch his breath.

The Doctor was practically on his heels. He was almost to the platform when the end section of the catwalk broke free from the ceiling and dropped several feet, the ramp beneath his feet suddenly vanishing. He made a desperate leap into space, landing half-on, half-off the platform, his lower body dangling over the edge. He tried to pull himself up but his hands could find no purchase. He quickly slid backwards and made a frantic grab for the safety railing at the edge of the platform. It immediately twisted under his weight and folded over, leaving the Time Lord suspended in midair.

This had all taken place in the blink of an eye. One second the Doctor was half-on the platform, the next he was dangling in space and hanging onto a piece of questionable metalwork for dear life. He looked up, seeing the railing slowly bending under his weight. He suddenly found himself wondering if Jason would even respond if he called for help.

Even as this thought was passing through the Time Lord's mind, Jason abruptly appeared above him. Without a word, he grabbed the Doctor by his coat and pulled with all his might, lifting him up and onto the platform just as an enormous section of metal crashed against the edge where he had been.

The Alterran dropped to the floor beside the Doctor, too winded to say a word. As they struggled to catch their breath, they watched as the remaining catwalk completely broke free, crashing into the section below.

The Doctor got to his feet and gave Jason a dark look. "I suppose now you're going to say we're even," he said sarcastically.

The Alterran replied with an angry scowl. As he stood up, he watched the raging Time Lord storm toward the archway. There was an explosion in the corridor just outside the door, the force of the blast knocking him off of his feet again. A chuck of debris caught the Doctor in the forehead and sent him sprawling.

Unaware of this, Jason was picking himself up off of the ground again. He shook his head to clear it, his ears ringing from the noise. He looked up to see the Doctor lying motionless on the ground and staggered over to him. There was blood trickling down his face. He knelt down and brushed his hair aside revealing the gash on his forehand.

Another explosion rocked the room and Jason used his own body to shield the Doctor from the storm of debris that rained down on them. A large, heavy and sharp metal object struck him square in the back and he yelped in pain but continued to act as a shield until the debris stopped falling. Then he collapsed to the floor, rolling painfully onto his back. To his horror, he saw another enormous piece of twisted metal directly above him. It looked like it was hanging by a thread. Summoning all his strength, he pulled the unconscious Time Lord across the floor and into the questionable safety of the doorframe just as the object broke free and imbedded itself into the very spot where they had been.

Cradling the Doctor protectively in his arms, Jason sat gasping for breath as the room beyond continued to disintegrate. He reached back to where the debris struck him, his hand coming away with blood on it. "Great," he muttered darkly. Closing his eyes, he put his head back against the wall in resignation. "We're not gonna make it." Then he heard the sound he dreaded coming from below, the machinery in the engine room was starting to whine. Power up had begun.

"I'm sorry, Doctor. We've run out of time," he said in an exhausted whispered.

A quick search the Time Lord's coat pockets produced the recall disk. As the engine room started to explode, Jason activated the disk, transporting the Doctor and himself to the safety of the _ARGO_.

oOo

Jason had barely materialized on the flight deck when he commanded, "Computer, get us out of here. Now!"

"**Systems activating. Course required for launch."**

"I don't care, anywhere. High orbit!"

"**Course required for launch,"** the computer replied stubbornly.

Cursing under his breath, Jason didn't even bother to stand. He crawled over to the console, punching in a heading from his knees. "Now launch!"

"**Safety settings engaging."**

Jason cursed again. "Command override, designation Krystovan. Now launch, you stupid machine, launch!"

"**Acknowledged."**

The ship suddenly lurched, throwing the prince onto his back. He could hear the engines powering up and braced himself for the G-forces to come.

Fifty miles from the Sanctuary, the water in a peaceful lake suddenly became violent, as though in response to a coming storm, tall waves crashing onto the shoreline. Then a loud rumbling like distant thunder rolled across the area, the ground shaking in response. A few seconds later the _ARGO_ appeared, rising from the depths of the lake. It cleared the surface and lifted off, moving faster and faster, attaining escape velocity and shooting out of the atmosphere, away from the planet's surface and on a heading that would take it out of the system.

On the main view screen, the planet shown like a blue green marble in space, slowly growing smaller as the ship moved away.

Jason picked himself slowly and painfully off of the floor of the flight deck. He staggered over to the sickbay where he retrieved his Med-kit and returned to the Doctor's side, cleaning and dressing his wound. He had scarcely finished when the Doctor regained consciousness, a moan escaping him as he did so.

"What happened?" he asked, a hand going to his aching head.

"And you were knocked out by an explosion," Jason said as he slowly got to his feet. "We're on the _ARGO_."

"The _ARGO?_" The Doctor blinked up at him and then sat up, an accusing look on his face. "Do you mean to say—?" He got no further. At that moment, the main view screen flared.

They both turned to see a white mushroom cloud billowing across the surface of one of the continents. Then to their horror, the atmosphere burst into flame, the inferno rolling around the globe like a great wave until the entire surface was awash in its glow. When the blazing light finally faded, it revealed a blackened husk where there had once been a thriving world.

oOo

On the planet's second moon, the computer alerted Trevor that the ship was powered up and ready for launch. A split second later, the surface of the planet flared, the mushroom cloud blossoming on the surface followed by the fireball. He watched all this in awe, being so transfixed by the devastation he had wrought that he failed to notice the ARGO streaking away from the planet's surface. "A fitting end," he said admiringly. "Who says you can't change the future?" So saying, he lifted off from the moon's surface, setting a course out of the system.

oOo

Onboard the _ARGO,_ the occupants had also watched the destruction of the planet in silent awe, but had an entirely different reaction. "That wasn't supposed to happen," Jason said in a horrified whisper.

The Doctor jumped to his feet, beside himself with rage. "Is that _all_ you have to say? It wasn't supposed to happen?"

"Doctor, it wasn't supposed to be like this."

"An entire planet's been destroyed!" the Doctor thundered. "Billions of lives snuffed out! And you think you can explain it away by saying it wasn't supposed to happen?"

"It wasn't!"

The Doctor glared at him. "I don't know what's come over to you," he said angrily, "but I know it had nothing to do with what happened between us. That…you…" As impossible as it seems, he could not find the words to describe the revulsion he felt at that moment. "I'm done."

The Alterran gave him a stricken look. "What?"

"You heard me. I'm done with you. Finished. When I leave, I never want to hear from you again. Is that understood? If you try to send for me, I won't come."

"You think I'm responsible for this?" Jason gasped in disbelief. "You don't understand!"

"That's the first thing you've said that I _do_ agree with," the Doctor shot back.

"What happened to not wanting to change history? And everything else in that guilt trip you laid on me last time?" Jason demanded. "I'm to forgive you, but you can't forgive me, it that it? Now we're even?"

"I could forgive you any number of things, Jason, but how do you justify that!" He pointed at the screen. "That…_abomination_ is unforgivable."

"It was a mistake!"

This was the wrong thing to say. The Doctor completely lost his temper and did something he never thought he would. He struck Jason hard across the face with the back of his hand. The blow was so unexpected it knocked the already injured Alterran off of his feet.

The ship's computer, which had been unusually silent during this altercation, suddenly came to life. "**Activating defense mode**," it announced.

"Cancel," Jason snapped as he struggled painfully to his elbows.

The Doctor was so furious; he didn't even notice when this happened.

"A mistake! You call that holocaust a mistake? _I_ made a mistake! But you…you…" Again the Doctor found himself at a loss for words. "I don't know who you are anymore. You're a complete stranger. I am not getting sucked into any more of your deceptions."

Jason looked at the enraged Time Lord standing over him and knew that somehow he had gotten everything completely wrong. Unfortunately, his brain couldn't supply the words he needed, and by this point, the Doctor was completely beyond reason. He got to his feet and went to the console. "Computer, map," he com­manded dully. A map of the _ARGO_'s interior appeared on the main screen. "Your TARDIS is there." He pointed to a storage bay. "Take it and go, if that's what you want."

The Time Lord drew himself to his full height. "It ends here."

"If that's what you want," came the toneless reply.

"You can't even give me a straight answer now, can you?" the Doctor observed in irritation. With that, he turned on his heel and left.

Jason watched him go in a stunned silence. He heard the TARDIS dematerialize and closed his eyes his only hope of salvation abandoning him. Then he slowly sank into a command chair, putting his head in his hands. "It wasn't supposed to end like this," he said in a small voice.

The prince looked over in the direction of the sickbay but could not summon the energy to stand and cross to it. Turning back to the console, he laid his head in his arms, completely exhausted. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew he was suffering from shock but was just too numb to do anything about it. A large bloodstain was blossoming across his back, and he was oblivious to it. He was oblivious to everything but his own sudden and total isolation.

oOoOoOo


	19. Mission End Plus 3 & 88

**MISSION END Plus 3**

Within minutes of the ARGO touching down on Gallifrey, Prince Jason was storming through the halls of the Capitol. He was dressed in full Ambassadorial regalia and made straight for the office of Cardinal Wythe, finding the High Councilor behind his desk. As fate would have it, this was the first day the Cardinal had returned to his duties since his near fatal fall down the stairs.

"What the hell do you think you're doing? Leaving me twisting in the wind like that?" Jason demanded as he entered the room.

Wythe looked at the Alterran in blank astonishment. "I beg your pardon?"

"In and out in no time, you said! I was there for almost two months," Jason exploded.

"Ambassador, I haven't the vaguest idea what you're talking about," the Cardinal replied.

"That _simply_ mission to Eldeberon ended in apocalypse!" The Alterran's eyes were blazing with his outrage and he was making a visible effort to keep in control of himself. "_You_ sent me. Did you send the Doctor as well? And then lie to my face about it?"

The Time Lord stared up at Jason in complete bewilderment. As far as he could tell, he had a raving lunatic in his office and pushed a small button that would call security. Within a few minutes, Captain Reinhardt of the Chancellory guard was at the door.

"You called, Cardinal?" he said, glancing over to the enraged prince.

"Yes. Ambassador Krystovan is leaving," Wythe stated flatly.

"Like hell I am," Jason spat back angrily. "I want answers from you."

The Captain groaned inwardly. He much preferred having to deal with the usual disorderly rabble than the elite. They usually had to be handled with kid gloves. He soon learned this was not the case with the prince, who struggled against his attempts to remove him from the room. This took several minutes to accomplish. Were it not for the fact that Jason was in a weakened condition because of the injuries he'd sustained only a few days earlier, the officer would have found it impossible to budge him. What he did find was the aristocrat had an unusual linguistic ability as he let loose a stream of obscenities in several languages.

Once they were out in the hall, Jason pulled angrily away and glared at Reinhardt. Several more guards had arrived by this time, all with their weapons drawn. It was all too obvious that the prince was not going to be allowed to simply leave the Capitol.

Jason took in the scene, analyzing his options and the ramifications of his actions were he to physically retaliate. Despite the fact that he seemed outnumbered, he knew he could overpower the guards if he were to transmute. He also knew that it would not be the best thing for an Imperial Ambassador to do.

The prince sighed heavily and held up his hands in surrender. "Alright, alright, I'll go quietly," he said in an annoyed tone. He thought he was going to end the worst ordeal of his life. He soon learned that he had merely set another in motion—and this ordeal might very well end with his own execution.

oOoOoOo

**MISSION END Plus 88**

Go to Trials & Transmutations  
Chapter One


End file.
